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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23839654">Shadow of the Robot</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eliza_Reed/pseuds/Reed_Zone_Alert'>Reed_Zone_Alert (Eliza_Reed)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ratchet &amp; Clank Reborn [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Ratchet &amp; Clank</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Also Taking Inspiration From Marvel Now Too Apparently, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, F/M, Fanfiction, Humor, I also really like to hint at things lol, Lots of World-Building Going On Too, Ratchet is a Jerk in this Fic- Sorry, Reboot of a Reboot, Science Fiction, Taking Some Inspiration From the KOTOR Games, Zoni Bonds are Apparently a Thing Now</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 19:06:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>46,623</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23839654</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eliza_Reed/pseuds/Reed_Zone_Alert</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A Lombax with nothing to lose. An amnesiac defect without a purpose. This unlikely duo must team up and work together in order to save the galaxy. But when the Rangers go missing, and a mysterious third party decides to start getting involved, things get whole lot more difficult for Solana's heroes.<br/></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clank &amp; Elaris, Ratchet &amp; Clank (Ratchet and Clank), Ratchet &amp; Elaris, Ratchet/Elaris</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ratchet &amp; Clank Reborn [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1739431</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Uno</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is my first Ratchet and Clank fanfic in ages, so I apologise if this chapter is just mediocre at best. Hopefully I can make the next chapter more interesting. Anyways- constructive criticism is welcome but FLAMES are NOT.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>On planet Veldin...</em>
</p><p>Ratchet stuffed the Ranger poster into his back pocket and sighed, leaning against a random crate before sliding down to the floor onto his bottom. He knew he never stood a chance. They would never let him become a Ranger, he knew. So why bother? Why bother? Why waste valuable time that could be spent repairing a customer’s ship and making some much-needed money?</p><p>“I miss you, Grim,” Ratchet murmured. The Lombax hugged his legs and rested his chin on them, sighing. It had been really hard after Grim died. Heck, it was still hard. Five years ago now. Five years since Grim had gotten horribly sick, wheezing and vomiting, his temperature dangerously high. Whatever it was, Ratchet must have been immune to it- he experienced no visible symptoms.</p><p>In any case, the Lombax had taken it upon himself to care for Grim- until, finally, the man had passed in his sleep. Ratchet buried him in the backyard- which was more of a wide cliff overlooking a valley. Had they more bolts, he would have had a funeral service for Grim, but alas- the shop only brought in just enough money to keep it running as well as the bare necessities. <em>Grim always loved that view,</em> he thought sadly. Ratchet supposed that was why Grim had chosen to set up shop here- well, that, and the fact that it was close to the village, where potential customers flocked daily.</p><p>Speaking of potential customers, a knock roused the young Lombax from his thoughts. Sighing once more, Ratchet stood and made his way to the door. He smacked the button on the wall and the garage door hummed to life, slowly rising up towards the ceiling.</p><p>On the other side stood an elderly Tharpod with a walker whom the Lombax recognised as a frequent customer.</p><p>“Hi, Mr. Micron,” Ratchet greeted with a slight frown. While Micron was a good source of money due to the fact that his speeder was clearly a lemon and kept breaking down, the Lombax was starting to grow concerned about the Tharpod’s financial situation. Surely that old man’s pocket couldn’t be bottomless- it had to end somewhere. Ratchet had suggested more than once that Micron really should get a new speeder, but the old Tharpod was far too attached to this one and blatantly refused.</p><p>“Good morning, Mr. Dinkles,” the Tharpod greeted in return. Oh, yeah. Mr. Micron also seemed to think that Ratchet was his long-deceased pet. The Lombax had given up on correcting him about that a <em>long</em> time ago.</p><p>“Alrighty, let’s see what the problem is.” Ratchet grabbed a toolbox from his worktable and walked up to Mr. Micron’s speeder. The Lombax pried open the hood with his Omni-Wrench and coughed as a cloud of ash blew right into his face from inside.</p><p>Just as Ratchet guessed. Another thoroughly charred regulator.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Meanwhile, on planet Quarto!</em>
</p><p>A lightning storm raged across the planet, thick clouds reigning supreme in the sky. It had been many years- decades, even- since a single ray of sunlight had touched the planet.</p><p>But we are not here to discuss the weather.</p><p>On this very planet, there was a warbot factory. A warbot factory that was owned and run by none other than Chairman Alonzo Drek, to be exact. And it was this very factory which the greedy Blarg had chosen to visit that day.</p><p>“Dr. Nefarious!” Drek’s voice boomed into the room as he rode his scooter into Nefarious’ office, nearly crashing into a nearby computer console in the process. The Blarg put on his brakes just in time to avoid the collision and looked over at the tall, green-skinned pointy-eared scientist in question. Nefarious had turned his gaze upon the smaller alien and was watching with an unimpressed frown.</p><p>“Heh- uh, Dr. Nefarious!” Drek repeated, quickly composing himself and smiling at the villain once more.</p><p>“You said that already-”</p><p>Drek didn’t let Nefarious finish. “The mad scientist who made all of this possible!”</p><p>Nefarious scowled and retorted in annoyance, “Ahem- ‘mad’ suggests <em>cognitive impairment.</em> I prefer... a <em>‘vengeful</em> scientist,’ thank you not very much.” The “vengeful scientist” went on, “I trust you’re here to meet the troops?”</p><p>“Well, obviously!” Drek drawled, an evil smile spreading across his lips. “So? Where are they? Where’s my warbot army to-be?”</p><p>“Follow me.”</p><p>Nefarious led the Blarg down a dimly lit corridor. The faint light being emitted from the ceiling lights was reflected by the metal walls and floor, illuminating the hall in an almost dramatic glow. “Loooove what you’ve done with the place, Neffy-”</p><p>“I thought I told you to <em>stop</em> calling me that,” Nefarious muttered indignantly. Drek didn’t seem to hear him over the sound of his own voice.</p><p>“- I can literally <em>feel</em> evil radiating the halls-”</p><p>“Actually, what you’re feeling is probably the radiation from the Quartanian ore I’ve been using to power the factory,” Nefarious tried to explain to no avail. Did this moron of a Blarg ever shut up?</p><p>No, apparently he <em>didn’t.</em></p><p>“- ooooh! I know, I know! We should make matching evil T-shirts! T-shirts that say, ‘We’re evil, so don’t mess with us-’”</p><p>“Oh, look at that!” Nefarious cut in, about two decibels away from practically shrieking in relief as he and Drek stepped onto the hexagonal platform overlooking the manufacturing chamber.</p><p>“We’re here! Chairman, meet the troops!” The scientist waved his hand at the warbots in question, who stood inert on the many slowly moving conveyor belts. “Each one has been outfitted<em> NOT</em> with the latest missile technology- heat seeking missiles, x-ray vision, blah blah blah- but rather weapons and gadgets of <em>my</em> own personal design. Unhackable software that can only be accessed via a six-pass alpha key with my or your digital signature, adaptable nanotechnology capable of self-upgrade, and last but not least: Groovitron immunity. I’d like to see <em>Megacorp</em> offer you that quality of service, ha!”</p><p>Drek stared down at the deadly machines in awe. Then his awestruck expression warped into one of confusion as his eyes locked onto something on the nearest conveyor belt. He pointed to the aforementioned object and asked, “What’s that down there, Neffy?”</p><p>Nefarious’ gaze followed Drek’s finger and locked onto on a small, silvery robot that was standing on the conveyor belt just as inert as his warbot companions. That is, until the little robot reached the activation point. Said defect’s metallic eyelids slid open, revealing a set of large, green orbs. He lifted his gaze to the large, metal arm that was bolted to the pillar attached to the side of the conveyor belt. On the top of the arm sat a small green light that could pass for an eye.</p><p>“Hello,” the tiny machine greeted politely, lifting his hand to wave at the arm. “My name is...” The defect paused. “Odd. This is very odd. I cannot seem to recall-” A cone of yellow-green light burst from the robotic arm’s “eye” and enveloped the little bot, effectively cutting his sentence short. At first all the tiny defect felt was a mild discomfort- after all, it wasn’t very polite for one machine to scan another without at least indulging in the return of a greeting beforehand.</p><p>The light then shut off abruptly, and the arm’s speakers blared, “Defect detected! Preparing for immediate destruction, in three, two...”</p><p>“I!- defect?!-” The small machine, in a fit of panic, wasted little time and threw himself off the side of the conveyor belt- which, on second thought, probably hadn’t been the best idea since he hadn’t bothered to check to see if there was a platform below.</p><p>Thankfully there was. His body crashed onto the platform, denting up his alloy shell. The defect did not seem to notice the damage his body had sustained, however, and scrambled back onto his feet before charging down the hall.</p><p>Nefarious’ shriek of “VICTOOOOORRR- GET THAT <em>DEEEEFECT!!!”</em> ricocheted off the walls, painfully grating on the audio receptors of the defect in question.</p><p><em>Almost there!</em> While the defect could not remember his name, or anything else about himself for that matter, the factory building’s plans lay in his software crystal clear. If they were accurate, he was fairly close to vent that he could use to reach the hangar. Drek’s plans also sat clearly in his mind. And he knew he had to warn the Rangers somehow before it was too late.</p><p>The defect was about six yards from the vent when a colossal metal machine tore through the wall more easily than a knife could cut through butter. “There you are- <em>defect,”</em> said machine sneered, tele-equipping a Negotiator into his massive titanium hands. “Time to <em>die,</em> you useless piece of <em>scrap!” </em>The “piece of scrap” in question scurried to the side as fast as his little legs could carry him, already calculating another route of escape. A mishmash mess of tangled, seemingly nonsensical code nearly overwhelmed his system, but he quickly overrid the strange program and filed it away for later examination. His priority was to get to safety. Nothing else. The giant machine fitted with the oddly-designated missile launcher stomped after him, shouting expletives and insults all the while. The defect zigged and zagged from side to side, hoping that this would throw the Negotiator’s targeting systems off. A pipe lining the wall to the little robot’s right unexpectedly burst- spraying water right into his pursuer’s face.</p><p>“EEEUGHH! WATER!!!”</p><p>The tiny defect used this opportunity to slip into another vent right before the other machine could grab him. He tumbled down the vent, each collision of metal on metal eliciting an “Oof!” of pain. Finally, the poor, beat-up little machine reached the bottom, tumbling out onto a stack of bolt crates below. The crates tipped over, sending the robot flying onto the metal floor below. After a few stunned seconds, he scrambled onto his feet and raced to the nearest shuttle. He jumped inside and slammed his tiny fist on the ignition. The ship sputtered to life, and blasted off into the sky. It seemed to the defect that he was in the clear, and he let out a sigh of relief. However, his respite was extremely short-lived. Something smashed violently into the back of the ship, bursting into flames upon impact. The defect yelped in fear, tightly clinging to the pod’s leather seat.</p><p>“Destination, please,” the ship’s computer requested. The terrified little machine didn’t seem to hear it, so the computer repeated, “Destination, please.”</p><p>“Galactic Ranger home base!” the defect told it, still clinging to the chair for dear life.</p><p>The computer responded in an emotionless tone, “We will never make it, but hey, what are you gonna do?”</p><p>“Oh dear,” the robot murmured fearfully in response.</p><p>Then his escape was all for naught.</p><hr/><p>Ratchet sighed tiredly and folded his arms behind his head as he lay sprawled on the roof of his garage. “I’m never getting off this rock... am I?” the Lombax muttered to himself, his gaze flicking from star to star.</p><p>One star in particular seemed to grow a centimetre or two in the past few minutes, but Ratchet didn’t think much of it. It was only when the star grew even bigger that he really took notice. It was another full ten seconds before he realised- it wasn't a star at all. The little ball of light had evolved into a streak of flames and black smoke painted upon the sky before crashing violently at the other end of Kyzil Plateau.</p><p>Ratchet tele-equipped his Swingshot and grappled his way down the ground. “Better get there before the other scavengers do- there might be something I can salvage from the wreckage,” he told himself.<em> “If</em> there’s even anything left.”</p><p>The Lombax switched to his handy Omni-Wrench and, as he headed down the sandy path, smacked a pair of Horny Toads (who the heck came up with this name anyway?) square in the face. While one of the aforementioned reptiles hopped away yelping, the other Horny Toad stayed behind and snarled threateningly at the Lombax. Ratchet brought his wrench down harder on the alien, effectively knocking it unconscious.</p><p>The Lombax then went on his way, occasionally stopping to shake the sand out of his fur and clothes. He eventually reached a high cliff face which, with the help of his trusty Swingshot, he barely managed to scale. Just as he had hoisted himself over the side, the roar of a nearby ship engine snatched his attention.</p><p>“Wha-” Ratchet looked up to see a colossal-sized ship of an unfamiliar configuration clouding over the sky, blotting out most of the stars. The Lombax gulped. A massive door on the starboard side of the ship creaked open and out of it flew dozens- perhaps even a hundred- smaller ships. The ships split up and started flying over the area in a systematic manner.</p><p>Whoever they were, they were looking for something.</p><p>Ratchet finally tore his gaze away from the mysterious ships in the sky and resumed his journey to the crash site. Thankfully, the crater was only another couple of yards away. Ratchet stopped at the edge of the cliff and carefully grappled his way down to the burning wreckage below. He carefully weaved around the gnarled, half-melted shards of metal and glass, and finally reached the cockpit section. Inside, a tiny robot sat, deactivated.</p><p>Ratchet took a deep breath and quickly grabbed the machine in question, biting his lip in pain as hot metal burned his flesh. He scurried away from the wreckage as quickly as he could and set the robot down in the sand, whimpering a bit from the intense pain his gloved hands and arms had been subjected to.</p><p>After giving both himself and the deactivated robot a chance to cool off, Ratchet decided to examine his newly found prize. He had just knelt down to take a look when without so much as a warning, the machine sat up in a flash. Its head smacked violently against Ratchet’s, sending the feline tumbling backwards into the sand with a pained yelp.</p><p>“I- oh!” the robot stumbled towards the Lombax and offered a tiny hand to assist. “My sincerest apologies, sir, I-” The machine looked up just as a ship landed a couple of yards away from them. “Oh dear.”</p><p>“Huh?” Ratchet was back on his feet in less than a split second, Omni-Wrench in hand. A million thoughts raced through the Lombax’s head as he waited for something to happen.</p><p>“I think we should run,” the robot at his side murmured, hovering close to Ratchet’s leg.</p><p>“There’s a Versa Magnet on the back of my harness,” Ratchet told him. The little machine seemed to get the message and hopped up onto the Lombax’s back, quickly turning around so as to attach to the Versa Magnet.</p><p>At this same moment, the cockpit-window of the ship in front of them flipped open, revealing a disoriented Blarg inside.</p><p>“Oh man, I think I’m gonna puke!” the Blarg said right before Ratchet bashed his skull with his wrench. Then the Lombax grabbed the Blarg by the back of his uniform and yanked him out of the ship.</p><p>“Looks like this ship is ours now.” Ratchet settled in the pilot’s seat while his new mechanical companion took the copilot’s. The Lombax shut off the autopilot controls and pulled shut the cockpit-window. “Okay, altimeter, check. Grav-o-metric warp drive, check.”</p><p>“Are you a pilot?” the robot asked, a tinge of worry in his voice. “That ‘altimeter’ is actually-” The ship hummed to life and jerked off the ground, ending the little bot’s sentence short.</p><p>Ratchet glanced over and said, “We’re about to find out.” With that, he steered the ship upwards into the sky, not away from the other Blarg ships- but rather towards them. “Any idea what kinds of weapons this thing has?”</p><p>“Oh dear,” the tiny machine murmured.</p><p>This was definitely not going to end well.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Dos</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter could probably use a little more work, but   a n y w a y s-<br/>Chapter two is up!</p><p>Warning: Some Blarg were harmed during the making of this chapter. 😹😹😹😹</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ratchet swerved the ship to the side, dodging a spray of proton disrupter charges. He then flipped the ship around and smashed his thumbs down on the “fire” buttons attached to the steering. The ship launched a pair of missiles, both of which quickly tracked down and blew up an enemy ship.</p><p>“Okay, start talking,” Ratchet said, glaring over at his companion. “Who the heck are these people and why are they here?!”</p><p>“According to what little uncorrupted data is left in my central processing unit-” The defect’s words were cut short as Ratchet barrel-rolled the ship, narrowly avoiding a suicide jet. Vaguely the tiny machine wondered if these organics ever heard of this thing called “seatbelts.” “Ahem- as I was saying: the alien species currently invading your planet is known as the Blarg. They are after me, I believe- I managed to escape from one of the warbot factories on Quartu-”</p><p>The little robot’s words were cut off a second time as something smashed into the back of the ship and exploded.</p><p>“Hang on!” Ratchet shouted as the ship started to spin round and round while it descended at increasingly dangerous speeds. “We’re goin’ down!” The Lombax yanked the steering to the left, the ship just barely missing a jagged rock face as it smashed into the earth violently. Somehow, Ratchet and his mechanical companion were little more than bruised and dented respectively in the crash.</p><p>Ratchet pried the cockpit window open with his wrench and stumbled out. The defect quickly followed. “Are you alright, sir-?”</p><p>Ratchet whipped around to face the little machine. “You <em>brought</em> them here-?!”</p><p>“This is not the time nor is it the place,” the defect interrupted. “We should acquire another ship and get off-world as quickly as we possibly can. I will explain everything when we are out of danger.”</p><p>Ratchet sighed tiredly. “Fine. Whatever. But if I don’t like your story, we’re turning right around and I’m giving you back to the Blarg.”</p><p>“... I suppose that is fair.” The tiny robot climbed up onto Ratchet’s back without further ado. The Lombax turned to face a narrow, sandy trail.</p><p>“I know this trail- it leads back to my garage,” Ratchet explained as he started running down the path, Omni-Wrench in hand. “I’ve got a couple of things there I might be able to use to fix the ship.”</p><p>Heilo-Grubs dotted the night-blanketed sands of Veldin, illuminating the path in a soft green glow. Ratchet spotted a rusty old Swingshot target hanging over the small gap before him. One good swing, and he was on the other side of the gap in no time at all. He then crossed a metal bridge into a small building and heard voices outside. The Lombax scurried behind a stack of crates and waited.</p><p>“Fan out and find it!” a shrill voice ordered. “The defect couldn’t have gotten far!”</p><p>“Yessir!”</p><p>Ratchet stayed crouched in the shadows of the crates, his wrench at the ready. As soon as one of those alien bipedal red lizards came walking past, the Lombax grabbed him by the back of his uniform and bashed the back of the Blarg’s head- knocking him out upon impact.</p><p>Ratchet then pulled the unconscious Blarg behind the stack of crates and left the body there. He then peeked around the corner. No other Blarg were in sight. The Lombax slipped out of his hiding place and moved slowly and silently to the exit of the building, sticking close to the shadows. Ratchet moved to the side of the exit, and peeked around the corner to see a lone Blarg standing near a cliff edge, his back to the Lombax.</p><p>“Jerry here,” the Blarg said into his wrist, where his comm was presumably attached. There was a pause before he continued, “Uh… no- we haven’t found the defect yet.” Pause. “Hey- do I <em>look</em> like a <em>magician</em> to you?! It’s not like I can just whip out a freakin’ <em>top-hat</em> and pull out a defect for you, is it?” Pause. “Yeah, well!- <em>Jimmy’s</em> a pretty bad name too, so I guess we’re <em>even!”</em></p><p>Ratchet rolled his eyes and proceeded to sneak up on the Blarg as said alien lizard continued to grumble angrily.</p><p>“Tell me how to do <em>my</em> job, will he?” The Blarg dubbed Jerry mumbled. “I see how it is.” The next thing Jerry saw were stars spinning around his head as Ratchet dragged his nearly unconscious body behind a rock. Another blow of the Omni-Wrench, and the Blarg was out cold.</p><p>“That was impressive,” the defect on Ratchet’s back remarked.</p><p>“Uh huh,” was the Lombax’s only response as he tugged on Jerry’s holster, trying to free it. Finally the strip of leather came loose and Ratchet looped it around his own waist. He then pulled a gun out of the holster- a slightly modified Lancer. “Nice! I’ll give the Blarg this- they’ve got decent taste in weapons.” Ratchet put the Lancer back into his holster and went on his way, crossing yet another bridge.</p><p>As soon as he got to the other side, a Blarg spotted him, and stealth quickly no longer became an option. “It’s a Lombax! And it’s got <em>the</em> defect! Get them!!” The other two Blarg soldiers turned their attention to the feline in question and started firing at him. Ratchet dove behind a rock for cover and yanked his Lancer out of his holster. In his other hand he twirled his Omni-Wrench. “Three...”</p><p>“Hmm?” the defect hummed.</p><p>“... two...”</p><p>“Why are you counting down?”</p><p>“... one!”</p><p>The Lombax leapt out and fired at the nearest Blarg, missing by several feet. Ratchet zigzagged around the battlefield, dodging blaster fire. He managed to get a Blarg in the kneecaps with his wrench at one point. Another Blarg threw a grenade at Ratchet in that same moment, but the Lombax dodged, and the grenade wound up blowing up the kneecapped Blarg instead.</p><p>Ratchet then aimed his Lancer at the grenader Blarg and fired, missing again. The Lombax huffed and holstered his weapon for the time being- deciding that relying on his Omni-Wrench was his best bet. The Lombax dodged the grenader’s shots and then leapt towards him. He brought his wrench down hard against the Blarg’s skull,  knocking him out cold.  Ratchet then whirled about as the only remaining Blarg decided to turn tail and run. The Lombax shrugged- it was one less lizard to fight. He resumed his journey, the trail winding down an incline so steep that Ratchet chose to simply slide down to the bottom. Aside from the sand that got into his clothes, the Lombax reached the bottom unscathed.</p><p>“I have <em>sand</em> in my mouth,” came the slightly muffled voice of the defect on Ratchet’s back. The Lombax chose to ignore him and instead continued down the trail. His garage quickly came into view, as did the Blarg soldiers currently ransacking the place.  Ratchet scurried behind a rock as the soldiers chit-chatted with each other loudly.</p><p>“Of all the jobs Drek could’ve given us,” one Blarg complained, “we gotta look for some <em>defect.”</em></p><p>“Hey, it’s a <em>lot</em> better than Quartu!” another protested. “We got clean air, the warm heat of the sun… <em>this</em> is nature! We never had any of this back hom- YEEOWCH!!! MOSQUITO ATTACK- run for your <em>lives!!”</em></p><p>Ratchet shook his head and leapt out from his hiding place, whacking the shrieking Blarg on the back of his skull- knocking him out cold. The other two Blarg didn’t put up much of a fight, and before long, their unconscious bodies were being dragged behind a stack of crates. Ratchet then began gathering up the parts and tools that the Blarg had been stealing and brought them back into the garage.</p><p>“Alright,” Ratchet said. “It may take me a couple of minutes to get the parts we need. Think you can keep watch in case any more of those talking lizards show up?”</p><p>“I believe so,” the defect replied, sounding slightly indignant. He jumped off of the Lombax’s back and moved to the garage’s entrance.</p><p>The tiny robot watched silently for any sign of danger as he waited.</p>
<hr/><p>Ratchet and the defect returned to their downed Blarg ship with the parts, only to find it swarmed with Blarg soldiers. Luckily, a few well-placed grenades- which Ratchet had previously swiped from the body of one of the Blarg he had taken out earlier- took care of them. He may be a bad shot with guns like the Lancer, but Ratchet was pretty good at throwing things.</p><p>Ratchet stepped around the bodies and reached the ship.</p><p>“While you clearly have not been in combat before,” the defect on his back observed, “you seem to be rather desensitised to-”</p><p>“Okay, I’m gonna stop you right there,” Ratchet told him as he pried open the damaged hood of the ship with his wrench. “My past isn’t up for discussion <em>period.”</em></p><p>“What about your name?” the defect asked.</p><p>Ratchet huffed in annoyance as he began to repair and replace some of the damaged parts in the ship. “Ratchet. My name’s Ratchet. How ‘bout you?”</p><p>“What about me?”                   </p><p>“Well, what’s your name?” Ratchet explained. “I told you mine. It’s only fair you tell me yours.”</p><p>“I do not have one. There are several gaps in my programming which may account for this,” the little machine said. “Perhaps my software was damaged during my production, and that is why I cannot seem to recall my designation.”</p><p>“Alright… then maybe I can give you a name for now? You know, until we find out your real name?” Ratchet suggested, closing up the hood of the ship.</p><p>“Yes, I do believe a temporary designation is in order.”</p><p>Ratchet opened up the cockpit window of the ship and let his robotic companion get in first. “Okay, how about Clank?”</p><p>“Clank?” the defect repeated as Ratchet got into the pilot’s seat beside him.</p><p>“Yeah. I dunno why, but… it kinda suits you.”</p><p>“Clank” nodded in agreement. “Alright. ‘Clank’ will do, for the time being.” Ratchet nodded back and pressed the ignition. The ship sputtered to life, spitting black smoke out of the exhaust pipe before the fumes returned to normal. The ship lifted off the ground, and this time Ratchet steered it away from the other Blarg ships. He felt guilty for leaving his home planet and its inhabitants to deal with the Blarg invasion, but if they were going to be of any use in defending Veldin, they needed help.</p><p>“Alright, start talking,” Ratchet told Clank. “Why do the Blarg want you so bad? Why do they want you bad enough to launch a full-scale invasion of a planet- <em>my</em> home planet?”</p><p>“I am a defect that was produced at one of Chairman Drek’s warbot factories on planet Quartu,” Clank explained. “As such, my databanks contain Drek’s plans to launch an attack on the Galactic Ranger home base on Kerwan. I must go there to warn the Rangers- if they are to be killed, Drek will be able to continue his plans unhindered. This is why the Blarg are after me, and why they came for me on Veldin.”</p><p>“I guess our needs do kinda overlap,” Ratchet replied. “If what I’ve read about the Blarg in the history books is true, then Veldin’s in a lot of danger.”</p><p>“Oh. The giant Blarg warship in the sky did not tip you off?” Clank asked. He did not wait for a response as continued, “Nevertheless, I am inclined to agree. Without the Rangers, we stand no chance in protecting Veldin- or the rest of the galaxy for that matter.”</p><p>“Okay, so we just need to get to Kerwan, find the Rangers, tell them the Blarg have invaded Veldin and are planning to attack them next, and then we’re home free. Right?”</p><p>“Even <em>if</em> we manage to reach the Rangers in time, it may be too late for Veldin. By the time we reach Kerwan, the planet may be already under Imperial control.”</p><p>“But maybe with the Rangers help,” Ratchet told him as their ship jumped to warp speed, “we can free it. Veldin’s my home, Clank. I may not’ve been born there, but I was raised there. I have to try.”</p><p>“You were not born on Veldin?” Clank asked. “That would explain why I cannot find your species in my database.”</p><p>“Well, at least you didn’t mistake me for a Cazar,” Ratchet remarked. “People did that a lot at home.”</p><p>“Where were you born?”</p><p>A minute or two passed, and Clank slowly became convinced that his furry companion was not going to answer when Ratchet simply replied, “I don’t know.”</p>
<hr/><p>A moustached Rilgarian sat dozing in his sun-washed office. Light seeped in through the tall windows adorning the wall behind him. The door of his office slammed open and in raced an agitated Terachnoid. “Sir! Sir!”</p><p>The Rilgarian was already awake- having been startled by the other alien’s abrupt entrance- and had his phone to his ear as he pretended to talk to someone at the other end. “What? No no no- oh, yes, that works. No, that- what?”</p><p>“Sir!” The Terachnoid yanked the phone out of the Rilgarian’s hand. “I have <em>three</em> brains- I’m not an idiot! But that’s not- I just got word from our lunar outpost on Tabora. There’s a <em>massive </em>Blarg invasion force headed for the planet!”</p><p>The Rilgarian’s face went from mildly irritated to absolutely petrified in two seconds flat.</p><p>“Oh… phooey…”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Tres</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okie, so the plot hasn't diverged drastically yet. But once we hit chapter four, we're definitely going all out. Some of the new plot may or may not be inspired by- nope, nope, Imma keep my mouth shut.</p><p>NO S P O I L E R S-</p><p>Anyways, enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ratchet dropped the ship out of warp unexpectedly. The ship slowed as a green and blue planet came quickly came into visible range.</p><p>“Why are we stopping?” Clank asked.</p><p>“I’m picking up some kind of distress signal from Novalis,” Ratchet explained, pointing at the small green screen in front of him. “Looks like it’s being jammed though- by what, I have no id-” Something impacted their ship from behind, blowing up the exhaust and mangling other vital hardware in the wake of its extreme heat. “Not again!”</p><p>“Oh dear-!”</p><p>“I’ll try to set us down safely- hang on!” The Lombax’s brows furrowed as the ship’s altitude speedily decreased. His grip tightened on the steering as he piloted the vessel to a small cliff overlooking one of the planet’s towns. The ship smashed violently into the earth front first, practically destroying Ratchet’s hard repair work from earlier that day. Dirt flew up in the air and dispersed onto the ship’s cockpit window, making it hard to see outside.</p><p>Both Lombax and defect were silent for a full minute. Clank broke the silence with the remark, “Well… history certainly has a way of repeating itself.” Ratchet just shook his head as he tele-equipped his Omni-Wrench and used it to pry open the cockpit window. The mechanism popped open without too much of a hitch, and the ship’s occupants were free. Ratchet hopped out first and quickly surveyed the damage.</p><p>“There’s no way we’re gonna get this fixed without new parts and some decent help,” Ratchet told Clank, who was crawling out of the ship. The diminutive defect looked towards the cliff, where just beyond sat a small town.</p><p>“Perhaps we can get help from one of the inhabitants,” Clank suggested.</p><p>Ratchet raised an eyebrow as a Blarg ship swooped in just then and razed one of the town’s bridges. “Yeah- <em>if</em> there are even any left. C’mon, let’s move.” Clank got the message, and jumped onto Ratchet’s back, sealing himself to the Versa Magnet on the back. The Lombax stepped onto the elevator pad in front of him and almost jumped when the thing jerked and began its descent to the town below. Swarms of yellow Blargian robots of various sizes roamed the small valley, practically trashing the place.</p><p>Ratchet shuddered nervously and lifted his wrench into a defensive position. “Okay- let’s do this thing.” For a moment, all was calm- like the calm before the storm. Then, as the Lombax charged forth, chaos ensued. He swung his wrench hard, smashing in the nearest robot’s metal head. The machine stumbled backwards, sparks flying from its damaged head. Another robot happened to look over and saw what was transpiring. It raised the small grenade launcher attached to its arm and started firing at the Lombax.</p><p>Ratchet jumped to the side, barely managing to avoid that first grenade. He yanked his Lancer out of his holster and shot at the enemy robot, hoping he could land a hit. When he had been fighting the Blarg aliens, it was inherently clear that Ratchet was a bad shot at best. But something somewhere inside told him he could make this shot- and he did. A cloud of sparks burst from the machine’s head- and this was quickly followed by a small explosion. Everything that happened after that moment was a fiery blur to the Lombax. Before long, all that remained of the Blargian invasion force in that part of the town were piles of mangled, half-melted scrap metal.</p><p>Ratchet stood silently for a moment, surveying the destruction he had caused. “Intriguing,” Clank finally commented.</p><p>Ratchet jumped, startled. “D- don’t <em>do</em> that!”</p><p>“My apologies,” Clank replied. “But… when you were fighting, just a few moments ago, my sensors detected a strange energy signature- and I believe it may have been coming from you. However, this said energy signature has now dissipated.”</p><p>“… and?”</p><p>“I detected that same energy signature when you were fighting the Blarg on Veldin,” the little robot explained. “However it was much more faint, so much so that I could not identify the type of energy you were emitting. Now that the levels are higher, I believe I may be able to identify their nature, given time.”</p><p>“I… see?” Ratchet said uncertainly. “You… yeah, you do that.” The Lombax came up to the bridge, which- if it hadn’t been for the massive gap that had been left behind by the Blarg, would have led to the other side. He thought for a moment, considering his next move, when he heard something heavy <em>thump</em> behind him.</p><p>“Er… Ratchet?” Clank’s voice sounded afraid. Before either Lombax or machine knew what happened, Ratchet had already turned around- Lancer in hand- and shot their would-be attacker. The enemy robot swayed from side to side for a moment as sparks flew from its now damaged chest before, finally, it fell forward into a smoking heap. Ratchet stood there for a minute, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Was it even physically possible to turn around that quickly? The Lombax shook his head and turned back around.</p><p>It was then that Clank said, “I saw the gap in the bridge when you were turned around. I believe I may have the technology necessary to get us across. Like all the Warbots, I have been outfitted with a Thruster Pack. Using it, I may be able to get us to the other side.”</p><p>“I guess you’re not totally useless after all,” Ratchet snarked, taking a step back from the gap. “I’m guessing I’m gonna have to jump?”</p><p>“Yes,” Clank answered. “My Thruster Pack should do the rest.”</p><p>“Okay, here goes nothing.” Ratchet took another step back and then raced forward, leaping off the edge. Just as Clank had promised, the Thruster Pack kicked in, propelling both Lombax and defect safely to the other side. Ratchet wasted no time and resumed his trek down the path, blasting more enemy robots along the way.</p><p>They quickly reached a small space nestled away in the rock, where a damaged Rilgarian vessel sat. Ratchet, keeping his Lancer out in case any more Blarg- robots, soldiers, otherwise- showed up, walked up to the ship’s back door and knocked on it. “Hello?” he called, and waited for a response.</p><p>“Go away- I’m not home!” came the reply.</p><p>“Uh, yes you are,” Ratchet countered. “I heard you.”</p><p>“We do not wish to harm you, sir,” Clank added. “Please come out.”</p><p>“You people can’t be the Blarg- the Blarg never ask for anything as politely as you do. Fine, fine. I’m coming out.” Ratchet took a step back as the back door began to lower to the ground. A middle-aged Rilgarian with a moustache stepped out onto the ramp. “Hello, uh… Mister Cazar wearing a lunchbox for a backpack,” the Rilgarian greeted nervously. “Eh, what can I do for you?”</p><p>“Well, you can start by telling us why the Blarg are attacking,” Ratchet replied. “C’mon, let’s get you somewhere safe in the meantime. We’re kinda exposed here.”</p><p>The Rilgarian nodded and stepped out of the ship. “I have a safe house not far from here. That’s probably where I should’ve gone in the first place, but-”</p><p>“But you’re a coward and wanted off the planet?” Ratchet cut in.</p><p>“Ratchet!” Clank reprimanded.</p><p>“No- I was hoping the Blarg would follow me and leave Novalis alone. It’s just me they want, after all,” the Rilgarian replied, leading the Lombax down a narrow path. “Eh, maybe I should just surrender myself to them. Then maybe they’ll leave.”</p><p>“I doubt it,” Ratchet replied. “They attacked my planet too- I don’t think the Blarg are gonna give Novalis up without a fight.”</p><p>The Rilgarian thought a moment. “I have a fighter jet in the hangar of my safe house. Boldan Class- first edition collector’s package. I don’t suppose you can fly, can you?”</p><p>At the same time Clank said “No”, Ratchet said, “Yes.” There was a small pause before the Lombax continued, “Lemme guess- you want me to use the fighter jet to take out the Blarg invasion force?”</p><p>“Yes, if at all possible,” The Rilgarian replied. “If you can do that, I’ll make it worth your while- three thousand bolts! What do you say?”</p><p>“How about this. I take out the Blarg for you, and you find someone who can help us fix our ship,” Ratchet told him. “Deal?”</p><p>“Deal!”</p><hr/><p>Ratchet coughed as dust billowed from the cloth that the Rilgarian was currently removing from the fighter jet. “Geez, how long’s it been since you last cleaned this place?” The Rilgarian gave him a look that shut him right up.</p><p>“Since the Cragmite Purge of 2142, Boldan Class missiles are now illegal across fifty systems,” the Rilgarian explained. “But the jet still has its blasters- hopefully they’ll do the trick.” The Lombax winced for a split second at the mention of the Cragmites, but his expression returned to normal just as quickly. Clank noticed this and filed it away for further analysis.</p><p>“So why <em>do</em> the Blarg want you?” Ratchet asked, brushing dust off the jet’s cockpit window.</p><p>“I… eh, may or may not have said some not so nice things about Chairman Drek during one of my speeches,” the Rilgarian told him. The Lombax looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, and so the alien lizard continued, “I said he could go space himself.”</p><p>Ratchet rolled his eyes as he pried open the jet’s cockpit window with his wrench. He turned to Clank and asked, “You coming or what?’</p><p>“Are you <em>always </em>this disagreeable?” Clank shot back. Nevertheless, he climbed into the fighter jet with Ratchet.</p><p>“Only on Mondays,” the Lombax answered, starting the ignition. The engine came to life with a sputter, and after a moment, settled into a rough hum.</p><p>“Today is <em>Wednesday,”</em> Clank corrected. Ratchet just shook his head in reply and gave a wave at their Rilgarian ally to move out of the way. The Lombax pressed his foot to the gas, and the jet shot out of the hangar like a bullet.</p><hr/><p>Before long, most of the Blarg battle ships had been destroyed, and the rest decided it was high time to pack their bags. Ratchet had set down their fighter jet without an ounce of grace- in other words, he crashed. Fortunately the jet had crashed into the woods outside the city and not into a building.</p><p>“Is there <em>any</em> vehicle whatsoever in all of existence that you do not crash?” Clank stumbled out of the fighter jet’s smoking cockpit and smacked his hand against his head when his optics started to glitch. His vision quickly returned to normal, and so he turned to look at the culprit.</p><p>“Well, look at it this way,” Ratchet countered, “at least we’re not dead, right?”</p><p>“Not yet.”</p><p>“Look who’s being disagreeable now,” the Lombax muttered.</p><p>“My audio receptors are thirty times sharper than the average organic’s,” the defect pointed out. “In other words, I can hear you.”</p><p>“Look, we held up our end of the bargain,” Ratchet growled. “So, we just need our new lizard friend to find us someone who can help us fix our ship.”</p><p>“True.” Clank climbed up onto Ratchet’s back and settled onto the Versa Magnet. The Lombax started to head down the narrow trail leading back to the town, Lancer and Omni-Wrench in hand in case one of those Blargian bots were still lurking around.</p><p>“The Blarg aren’t gonna leave Novalis alone, are they?” Ratchet asked, his eyes scanning the nearby bushes cautiously.</p><p>“I doubt that they would,” Clank replied. “It is likely that they will return soon with another, much bigger invasion force- perhaps one even the size of that which took control of Veldin.” A small yellow Blargian warbot leapt out of the bushes, its gaping metal maw wide open in a threatening snarl. A shot or two of the Lancer took the bot down, leaving it in smoking heap of twisted Raritanium alloy. “When our ally mentioned the Cragmites, you made an odd expression- an expression that among most species of this galaxy is described as a ‘wince.’”</p><p>“Like I told you already,” Ratchet growled, his voice on edge again, “my past <em>isn’t</em> up for discussion.”</p><p>“According to my historical archives, the Cragmites had been driven out of Solana after the Purge,” Clank explained, ignoring the Lombax’s agitated response. “Aside from the occasional rare- and often fictitious- sighting, no one has seen a trace of them since. Some say that they all eventually died out and became extinct, and others believe that they had constructed a device of great power that would allow them to travel to across vast distances in less than a minute- and therefore went on a voyage in search of a new home planet.”</p><p>Ratchet rolled his eyes at the second theory, but said nothing as the defect continued, “However, it is the general belief that the Cragmites were driven out of Solana thousands of years ago and, eventually, settled- making their home in another galaxy. Since the Bogon and Polaris galaxies are the closest, they are the most likely locations.” There was a pause before Clank finished by asking, “Your species is not native to this galaxy, is it?”</p><p>“What part of ‘my past isn’t your business’ don’t you get?” Ratchet retorted. “I’m gonna let this pass just this once- but if you ask me again-”</p><p>“You will what? Turn me over to the Blarg?”</p><p>“That’s not a bad idea,” the Lombax replied as they finally reached the outskirts of the town. “Now why don’t you do me a favour and just shut up until we reach Kerwan, okay?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Cuatro</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter four is up! 😸😸😸😸</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“There you are!” the Rilgarian greeted as Ratchet and Clank entered the safe house. “I was beginning to think the two of you had been killed!”</p><p>“Well, as you can see, we’re still alive,” Ratchet said. “And so are you. So we’ve held up our end of the deal. Now it’s time for you to hold up yours.”</p><p>“Ah yes, yes- someone to help repair your ship. Don’t worry, I know someone.  He’s probably still at his shop- I can’t imagine him leaving it during the lockdown,” the Rilgarian explained as he made his way to a communications console. He pressed a few buttons and the device hummed to life.  The console screen fizzled and crackled, then settled as a face became visible. Said face belonged to a grey skinned Rilgarian, complete with a black beard, thin-rimmed glasses, and pale orange overalls.</p><p>“Oh, hey, Mayor Buckwash!” the Plumber greeted pleasantly. “Is the invasion over yet? Plumbin’s not goin’ to do itself.”</p><p>Ratchet’s ears perked up at that. Mayor? That… explained things a little bit. But it didn’t explain why the guy was calling up a <em>Plumber</em> of all people.</p><p>“Yes, the invasion is over,” the Mayor answered. “But I need you to come over to the safe house. There are a couple of people here who could use your help in fixing their ship. I’ll pay you-”</p><p>“Nonsense!” The Plumber waved off the offer. “I’ve been waitin’ for this call awhile now- I’ll be there in two clanks of an Omni-Wrench!”</p><p>With that, both the exchange and transmission ended. Ratchet shared a confused look with Clank, who then turned to look at the Mayor. “I do not understand,” Clank said. “How is a Plumber supposed to help us fix our ship??”</p><p>“He’s not just any Plumber,” the Mayor told them. “He’s been to the ends of this universe and beyond. I’ve seen him repair things that… that are so utterly destroyed that they shouldn’t even be <em>able</em> to <em>be</em> fixed. He’s got a gift- and a very rare one at that.” He paused. “My daughter had that gift too,” he added sadly.</p><p>“Oh,” Ratchet said, his features softening slightly. “I- I’m sorry.”</p><p>“You have nothing to be sorry about. She had been sick for years, and there was nothing anyone could do for her. Not even her gift could save her, in the end.” A beep resounded through the room, interrupting. “I’ll get that.” The Mayor moved to the door and pressed a button on the panel next to it. The metal door slid open with a light squeak.</p><p>“Alright, where are they?” the Plumber asked. “I ain’t got all day- and neither do they.”</p><p>“In here,” the Mayor replied, stepping aside. The Plumber walked in and settled his gaze on Ratchet and Clank. “You two need to stop with improvin’ the high def- this is the second time I almost didn’t recognise you.”</p><p>“Umm… but we’ve never met,” Ratchet told him, reaching for his wrench cautiously. He didn’t trust this plumber one bit- no matter what Mayor Buckwash said.</p><p>The Plumber shrugged. “That’s what you said the last time- in any case it doesn’t matter. Mayor Buckwash said you were havin’ ship trouble?”</p><p>“Yes,” Clank answered. “Our ship crashed not far from here, and we need help to repair it. We would greatly appreciate any assistance you could offer us.”</p><p>The Plumber smiled and said, “Of course!” He lifted up his toolbox and continued, “I have my toolbox right here. And I have my Gadgetron PDA- I can have any parts we need teleported right to us.”</p><p>“Okay then,” Ratchet said, wrench in hand. “We’ll take you to it then.”</p><p>The journey was a short one, and thankfully the trio didn’t encounter any more enemy robots along the way. The Plumber took one look at the still-smoking wreckage and asked, “This is what all the fuss was about? I’ve fixed worse.” It took all of Ratchet’s willpower not to roll his eyes.</p><p>“So you will be able to help us?” Clank asked.</p><p>“Yep!” The Plumber set down his toolbox and started taking out tools. He looked up at Ratchet and asked, “What are you two just standin’ around for? You expect me to do all the work or somethin’? You said you wanted help- not a slave.”</p><p>“Okay, okay.” Ratchet waved his hands for the Plumber to calm down. “You got a hydrospanner in there?”</p><hr/><p>
  <em>A few hours later.</em>
</p><p>“That should do it,” the Plumber said with an air of finality. He turned to face the Lombax and his robotic companion. “I even made a few tweaks- they’ll be useful, with where you’re goin’.”</p><p>Ratchet raised an eyebrow. “Uh, yeah. Sure. Thanks?... I guess?”</p><p>“No problem. Just, eh, do me a favour, and stop crashin’,” the Plumber told him. “Just because I travel a lot doesn’t mean I’m goin’ to be there every time the two a’ you get into a pickle.”</p><p>Ratchet nodded, and with that, the Plumber waved them goodbye before trudging off to his next job. The Lombax looked over at Clank and said, “That guy was so weird.”</p><p>“I liked him,” Clank replied. “And in any case, we ought to be grateful for his assistance. I can only hope that we will be able to reach Kerwan in time.”</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Kerwan Star System, Verdigris Sector.</em>
</p><p>“Try hailing them again,” Clank- who had taken the privilege of flying ships from now on due to Ratchet’s rather incessant habit of crashing- ordered, putting on more speed.</p><p>Ratchet shook his head and looked over at Clank worriedly. “Nothing. I’m not getting anything from Kerwan, Clank.” The Lombax turned his gaze back at the coms.  “I think we might be too late.”</p><p>“We will not know for certain until we reach the planet,” Clank replied. As he spoke, a bluish-grey planet splashed with white clouds came into view. Tiny red-orange spots dotted the planet ominously. The defect took the ship in closer, entering the atmosphere, and soon enough, the dots morphed into blazing fires. Bridges were obliterated, unfortunate ships were lodged in buildings, and the tallest towers were decimated- leaving behind nothing but scorched stubs in their places.</p><p>“We… they… there’s got to be someone down there-”</p><p>“No one- organic or machine- could survive something like this, Ratchet. There is no one left. There is nothing for us down there.” The defect piloted the ship out of Kerwan’s atmosphere and settled it into an orbit around the planet.</p><p>“So what are we gonna do now?” Ratchet asked quietly. “We can’t stop Drek without the Rangers, and we don’t exactly have the power to raise them from the dead. One Lombax and one robot versus the entire Blarg army- yeah, that’s not gonna end well-” The Lombax was cut off as the comm beeped. He checked the screen and frowned, his brows furrowed. “Hang on… I’m getting a transmission… it’s a holographic message… and it looks like there’s a file attached to it.” Ratchet opened the message. Or rather, tried to, without success. “Looks like the message itself is encrypted, but maybe-” He turned his attention to the attached file and opened it.</p><p>The holo-emitter in the center of the console flickered to life, projecting an image of what looked like a group of star systems. Most of the planets, as well as space stations and moons, were blue- much like the rest of the map. However, four of said planets were highlighted in yellow.</p><p>“It is a map,” Clank observed.</p><p>“Thanks for the info, Mr. Obvious,” Ratchet retorted. “The question is, what’s it for?”</p><p>“The highlighted planets must be important locations,” Clank said. “Do you know where the transmission came from?”</p><p>Ratchet shook his head. “No- and I doubt I’ll be able to trace it.”</p><p>Clank thought silently for a moment, then continued, “The timing of this… is somewhat convenient.”</p><p>“Do you think that maybe-”</p><p>“I find it doubtful, but not improbable- if you are thinking what I am thinking,” Clank interrupted.</p><p>“Then we might still have a chance.”</p><p>“A very low chance… but yes.” Clank steered the ship out of orbit and into space. “Aridia, Grelbin, Sargasso, Reepor- what do they all have in common?”</p><p>Ratchet shivered slightly at the mention of Reepor. “Well, they’re all planets with very little population density… so they’re a lot more isolated. Fewer people means a lower chance of drawing attention to yourself if you’re someone with a target on your back.”</p><p>“Precisely,” Clank replied. “There were four Senior Galactic Rangers in the group- including Captain Qwark. There are four planets on this list.”</p><p>“Which means they could still be out there,” Ratchet added. “And we’ve still got a chance.”</p><p>“There is the possibility of it being a trap, though to what end, I cannot fathom,” Clank said.</p><p>“Well, we’re not gonna find any answers if we stay here. I say we head to Aridia and see what’s there- it’s the closest planet.”</p><p>Clank nodded in agreement and put in the coordinates for Aridia. “In the meantime, perhaps you could upload that holographic message to my hard drive? I may be able to use my decryption programs to unlock it,” the defect explained.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Aridia, Phylax Sector.</em>
</p><p>As Ratchet climbed out of the ship, he asked, “So you think there’s something in that old Drophyd mine up ahead?”</p><p>“Yes- it is one of the few Drophyd mines left that are still stable- more or less. It also still draws power from its underground geothermal generators,” Clank replied, hopping up onto Ratchet’s back. “However, I do not recommend using the elevators. I doubt that they are as stable as the rest of the structure, after all this time.”</p><p>“Yeah, probably not.” Ratchet tele-equipped his Omni-Wrench and whacked a Sandshark square in the face as it came close. The desert reptile scurried away, yelping in pain. Two more Sandsharks came running, their gaping maws wide open in a snarl- and both suffered the same fate as their predecessor. Both reptiles also ran off, whining as yellowish-green bruises began to spread quickly across their scaly faces.</p><p>Ratchet wasted no time and resumed his trek down the path to the Drophyd mining facility. More Sandsharks, of course, came charging for the kill- only to receive bruises in return, courtesy of the wrench. Most of the reptiles ran off, learning their lesson, but some stayed behind and tried to finish the job. Ratchet had to whack them a couple more times until their teeth started to fly out of their mouths. By this point, the Sandsharks determined that this course of action was a lost cause and scurried away yelping. The Lombax ran past them and continued down the trail, intent on reaching the mines.</p><p>In less than a minute, the desired building came into view.</p><p>Ratchet walked up to the entrance, and started to press a few buttons on the panel next to it. “Looks like it’s locked, but in a minute here I’ll have it open. Got any spikes?”</p><p>“I beg your pardon?”</p><p>“Computer spikes,” Ratchet explained. “So I can slice into the system. You got any?”</p><p>“Oh.” Clank opened up the compartment in his chest and handed it to Ratchet. “Here.” The Lombax injected the spike into a small outlet just below the panel’s keypad and got to work. Within a minute, just as Ratchet had promised, the door was open and the duo was free to enter.</p><p>Ratchet stepped into the darkness and tapped a small button on the side of his pilot’s cap. The room lit up in an instant, illuminated by the tiny flashlight sewn into the Lombax’s cap.</p><p>“Alright,” Ratchet said. “Let’s see what we can find.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, as you could probably tell, I'm taking inspiration from the Knights of the Old Republic games for a few things in this story- namely the second one in terms of having to go to a bunch of planets to find people. But trust me, there's gonna be a couple of plot twists coming up soon. </p><p>Very soon.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Cinco</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Finding the light switch was fairly easy. Ratchet flicked it on and switched off his cap’s mini-flashlight. The mine’s lights lit up with a crackling hum, flickering as electricity flowed to the bulbs for the first time in many years. The Lombax blinked quickly as his eyes adjusted to the sudden change in brightness. Once his vision had cleared, Ratchet let his gaze trail across the room. There was a pair of rusty elevator doors at one corner of the room, and another door leading up to a set of stairs in the other corner. Stacks of crates were pushed up against the walls, all of them closed. The scent of long-oxidized Raritanium still lingered in the air.</p><p>Ratchet walked up to the door leading to the stairs and found it locked. But he was able to slice into the system, with the help of Clank’s computer spike, and unlock it. When the seals inside the door gave a satisfying click, the Lombax smiled and pressed a button on the panel. The door slid open with a light squeak, and Ratchet was free to enter.</p><p>He stepped through to the other side and started down the staircase towards the mines. “You really think someone might come here?”</p><p>“Yes,” Clank answered. “The high amounts of Raritanium in these mines make it nearly impossible for scans to penetrate- and in turn, make it an excellent hiding place for people such as the Rangers.”</p><p>The staircase clearly hadn’t aged well in the past couple of decades or so- it was crumbling in many places, most of the metal red with years of oxidation. Ratchet made certain to step carefully, onto the less rusted parts of the stairs. “One thing’s for sure- the Drophyds couldn’t build a thing to last even if their lives depended on it,” the Lombax commented as he continued his way down the stairs cautiously. Ratchet huffed in annoyance when a large gap in the staircase came into view. “Looks like this part of the stairs has seen better days.”</p><p>The Lombax sighed and looked over at the railing next to him. It didn’t look all that stable, but aside from the elevator, it was their only option. “Clank, do you think this rail can support our weight?”</p><p>“The staircase rail? Considering the amount of oxidation, I believe the odds are unlikely. Not impossible, but unlikely,” Clank answered. “Why?”</p><p>“I’m gonna do something really crazy that uh… might kill us both,” Ratchet explained. “How much fuel does your Thruster Pack have left?”</p><p>“Not enough to reach the bottom safely.”</p><p>“Unless we make it part of the way down by another means,” the Lombax countered. “As long the rail doesn’t break, I might be able to use my Swingshot to get us most of the way down. Think your Thruster Pack can handle the rest?”</p><p>“I believe so,” Clank replied. “Be careful, Ratchet.”</p><p>“Yeah, I will,” Ratchet said. He latched his Swingshot hook onto the railing in front of him and gave it a gentle tug. The rail held. “Okay… here we go.” The Lombax jumped over the rail and hung onto the Swingshot cable tight as it remained slack for a split second, then jerked taut.  Breathing a sigh of relief as the rail remained intact, Ratchet began to reel out the cable, starting his descent. At first the odour was faint- it was noticeable, but faint. But as the minutes ticked by, and the duo descended further, the stench intensified. “Man, that Raritanium <em>stinks.”</em></p><p>“Odd,” Clank commented.</p><p>“What’s ‘odd?’” Ratchet asked.</p><p>“According to my scans, it appears that the lower levels are much less stable than the upper levels,” Clank explained. “I am not certain as to why. But I think we ought to exert caution when we reach the bottom.”</p><p>“I was already ‘extering’ caution when we were on the upper levels,” Ratchet replied. “What’s a little more?” The cable gave a click as the Swingshot locked in place. “Okay, Clank, I’m gonna need you to-”A long, ominous creak resounded from above the duo. Ratchet looked up and squinted in the dim lighting as his gaze focused on the rail his cable was grappled to. “Uh oh… Clank, you might wanna-” The rail snapped and both Lombax and robot were sent plunging into the depths below.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Meanwhile, on the Deplanetiser.</em>
</p><p>Nefarious paced back and forth between the consoles in his lab, taking in the information and making quick calculations in his mind. The scientist paused for a moment, turning towards the small, glowing capsule in the corner. He walked up to it, smirking, and tapped on the glass. “Remember our <em>agreement</em>. You back out- if you even <em>think</em> of backing out, I’ll destroy everything you hold dear,” Nefarious said before walking away with a laugh. He stopped for a moment and looked back at the small capsule, hoping to hear some defiant response about how he’ll never win- just so he could squash it with a quick-witted retort.</p><p>But Nefarious heard nothing. He rolled his eyes and stepped in front of a console. After a couple more minutes of pressing buttons and surveying his work, the mad scientist walked out of the room, leaving his prisoner to his ruminations.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Drophyd Mines, Aridia.</em>
</p><p>Ratchet stirred, the feeling returning to his body as he returned to his senses. Wet mud caked his fur, thoroughly chilling him to the bone. “Nnnhhhggg… Clank? You there?”</p><p>“I am here,” Clank replied, kneeling in front of the Lombax. “Are you alright? Do you require Nanotech?”</p><p>“I’m okay,” Ratchet told him, pushing himself up into a sitting position. “Cold, but okay. What happened?”</p><p>“The rail broke loose and we fell,” Clank explained. “I was able to activate my Thruster Pack at the last moment, but at the speed we were falling, it was only enough to cushion our landing slightly.”</p><p>Ratchet nodded in response, standing up. He surveyed his mud-covered fur and sighed tiredly. “As soon as we get off this planet, we’re stopping at someplace with a tub. Or a shower. I need a bath,” the Lombax said. He looked up towards the tunnel ahead of them and saw that the lights were out. He reached up and turned on the little flashlight attached to his pilot’s cap. Ratchet cautiously tele-equipped his Omni-Wrench. While Clank had explained on the way to Aridia that the chances of encountering underground wildlife was slim (apparently Raritanium ore had the reputation of being toxic to most Aridian wildlife), the Lombax still wanted to be careful.</p><p>There was no telling what was down here- Blarg soldiers, wildlife, or otherwise. He covered his face with his free hand as a wave of putrid stench hit him. “Ugh- this Raritanium <em>stinks,”</em> he muttered. “There must be a lot of it still down here, for it to smell this bad.”</p><p>“Actually, even only a small amount of Raritanium that has oxidised can produce a strong and foul odour.”</p><p>Ratchet rolled his eyes at the correction and kept moving, coughing a bit as the stench only became worse. “Well, this mine is definitely a pretty good hiding place- it’s a basically a really smelly deathtrap.”</p><p>“That is one way of putting it,” Clank replied.</p><p>Ratchet came up to a small cliff overlooking what looked like another path leading into a dark tunnel below. However, unlike the mining tunnels to the Lombax’s left, this tunnel was much bigger, and it seemed it was made more recently. “Clank, what species on this planet did you say <em>weren’t</em> affected by the toxins of Raritanium ore?”</p><p>“There are three known Aridian species that are immune to the ore’s effects,” the defect explained. “The Cobalian Krath beast, the Wigwump, and the Spitting-Dune Crawler.”</p><p>“And which one of those is needlessly <em>huge?”</em></p><p>“… the Wigwump,” Clank answered. “Why?”</p><p>“Because I think we’d better pick up the pace,” Ratchet answered. He turned away from the massive, possibly Wigwump-made tunnel, and continued down the path to the next set of mining tunnels. Bits of shattered, ebony-coloured Raritanium crystals lined the floor and walls. Some of the crystals were slightly lighter in shade, making them a dark grey- sometimes even a medium grey. One or two of the crystals were a pale white-blue colour, with some shades of pink splashed in. Ratchet decided to take these crystals for himself- he could trade them in for some weapon upgrades, or break them down and weld them into something useful.</p><p>Either way, he was taking the crystals.</p><p>The rest of the Raritanium, however, Ratchet left be. It was far too oxidised to be of any use to anyone, whether to trade or to weld. As the Lombax stuffed the non-oxidised Raritanium into his pocket, he kept a close eye out for anything suspicious. So far the only thing he saw were some fungi and some weird, slimy seaweed-like organism growing on the walls around the Raritanium crystals. Now and then, there were some small-to-medium sized holes in the dirt of the walls- indicating the past presence of Spitting-Dune Crawlers.</p><p>Whether or not any were still lurking around remained to be seen.</p><p>A tremor violently wracked the cave, nearly sending Ratchet tumbling to the ground. “Yipe!” The Lombax held out his hands to steady himself, stiffening his legs. “I thought you said that this part of the planet didn’t experience earthquakes!”</p><p>“I do not believe that was an earthquake,” Clank replied slowly. “What I told you was accurate- this part of the continent does not experience seismic activity.”</p><p>“Then what was that??”</p><p>“Most likely it was a Wigwump.”</p><p>“Greeeaaat,” Ratchet muttered, straightening up now that the tremors had stopped. “I’m starting to think-”</p><p>“Hello?” a voice called from the end of the tunnel ahead of them. A small, bobbing light came into view, cautiously moving towards them. “Who are you? What’re you doing down here?”</p><p>The Lombax lifted his wrench towards the light and demanded, “You first.” Ratchet squinted at her, partially blinded by the other person’s flashlight. Said person seemed to realise this, and lowered their light. Ratchet blinked a couple of times. His eyes then widened slightly as they focused on the person in front of him. “Wait a second- you’re one of the Rangers!”</p><p>“And you’re clearly not one of the Blarg,” the Ranger- Elaris, Ratchet remembered her name as- retorted. “I know a hologuise when I see one. And you’re definitely not wearing one, so… what’re you doing down here?”</p><p>“We were looking for you,” Clank answered.</p><p>Elaris tilted her head slightly and leaned to the side, trying to see better. “Are you wearing a <em>robot</em> for a <em>backpack??” </em>she asked, looking back at Ratchet.</p><p>“That’s my… ally Clank,” the Lombax told her. “Listen, we don’t have a lot of time, the Blarg are planning something-”</p><p>“We <em>know</em>. That’s not news to us,” Elaris interrupted. “That’s why they attacked Kerwan. Someone- we don’t know who- sent us a message telling us that they were coming. We didn’t get it in time, though. We had just started a planet-wide evacuation when the Blarg came.”</p><p>“We saw the destruction, when we flew to Kerwan,” Ratchet said.</p><p>“A lot of ships didn’t make it. All of us Rangers were able to make it out, though, and we managed to escort the surviving ships to Marcadia,” Elaris explained. “And I’m not going to say another word until you tell me why you were looking for me.”</p><p>“The Blarg attacked my home planet Veldin, and they tried to take Novalis too,” Ratchet explained. “Clank and I couldn’t stop the invasion on Veldin, but we were able to defend Novalis. But the Blarg are just probably going to attack again- and until they’re stopped, no one’s safe.”</p><p>“So what- you’re hoping to reunite the Rangers against a threat whose base’s location is completely unknown to us? We don’t even know what they’re planning!”</p><p>“Actually, that is not true,” Clank told her. He hopped off of Ratchet’s back and turned around to face Elaris. “I am a defect warbot produced by one of Chairman Drek’s factories on planet Quartu. I have all the schematics for the building in my database.”</p><p>Ratchet looked down at Clank. “Wait. So you’re suggesting that we break into Drek’s warbot factory??”</p><p>“If we can gain access to the factory’s primary terminal,” Clank explained, “it may provide clues as to what Drek’s plans are.”</p><p>“It’s a good idea,” Elaris amended. “But the three of us don’t really stand a chance on our own- no offense, O’ Great Saviour of Novalis.” She smiled slightly in amusement as she said this last bit.</p><p>“Hey-!”</p><p>Before Ratchet could finish his indignant response, Clank said, “I agree- it would be better if we could try and gather the other Rangers together and then formulate a plan to break into the factory.”</p><p>Ratchet huffed and crossed his arms. As much as he didn’t like to admit it, they were right. And anyway, it was their original plan all along- to reunite the Rangers so they could stop the Blarg’s plans. “Fine. But we also don’t stand a chance against the Blarg if we stay here and get mauled to death by a rabid Wigwump or something. So let’s get back to the surface, and figure everything else out up there, okay?”</p><p>“Alright, alright, don’t get your tail in a bunch,” Elaris told him. “C’mon, follow me. I know an easier- and less death-defying- way back up to the surface than the way you two probably came down. How you <em>didn’t</em> break your neck is a mystery to me.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Seis</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Tundor Wastes, Grelbin. </em>
</p><p>Clank carefully directed Ratchet’s ship down towards the snowy dunes, and set it down gently on a flat piece of land. The Plumber was right about them needing those upgrades he made. The new sensors helped to ensure that they landed on actual land, and not on a thin sheet of ice or something.</p><p>“We have arrived,” Clank announced to his two passengers.</p><p>“Great, so we went from a steaming hot desert to a freezing cold tundra,” Ratchet complained. “You Rangers sure like to pick the ones where <em>no one</em> wants to go.”</p><p>“That’s the whole <em>point,”</em> Elaris told him irritably. “If one of us went to- I don’t know- say, <em>Pokitaru</em>, then we wouldn’t just be risking our own lives. We’d be risking the lives of countless innocent people! So why don’t you do me a favour, and keep your stupid snarky comments to yourself.” With that, she unbuckled her seatbelt and pushed open the cockpit window. A breeze rushed into the cockpit, chilling the organic (read as meatbag) occupants to the bone- even with the winter gear that they had purchased from Maktar Station, which they had stopped at briefly to get some equipment and other supplies before resuming their journey to Grelbin.</p><p>Ratchet looked over at Clank, who looked at him with an unimpressed expression. “Wow, sassy,” the Lombax whispered to the defect with a smirk. If Clank had pupils, he’d have rolled his eyes. Ratchet pulled the hood of his coat up over his head and climbed out of the cockpit after Elaris. Clank followed, jumping out into the snow. His little metal feet sunk into the white fluffiness. The defect clambered up onto Ratchet’s back and attached himself to the Versa Magnet sewn into the Lombax’s coat. “So which Ranger do you think we’ll find here?” Ratchet asked Elaris as he turned towards her, trying to untangle his scarf so he could better wrap it around his face.</p><p>“Probably Cora,” Elaris answered. “She got the highest score of all of us in arctic survival training.” There was a pause. “Sensors picked up a small settlement a little ways to the east, and what might be an old enclave in the mountains just beyond it.”</p><p>“You believe Cora may be there?” Clank asked.</p><p>“I doubt she’s at the settlement, but she might be hiding out in the enclave,” Elaris replied. “We won’t know until we get there though.”</p><p>“Well, we better get going,” Ratchet said, looking towards the horizon as he tele-equipped his Omni-Wrench. The sun was already beginning to set, its blue light quickly shrinking into a squint as it started to sink behind the mountains. “I really don’t like the idea of us walking in the dark.”</p><p>“Yeah, me neither,” Elaris amended, tele-equipping her Plasma Coil. “The YETIs are bad enough, but running into a Leviathan would be a lot worse. C’mon, let’s move out-”</p><p>“Hey, who put you in charge?” Ratchet demanded.</p><p>“I <em>am</em> the only Galactic Ranger in this group. You’re just a civilian and-”</p><p>“Ahem,” Clank interrupted. “If you continue this useless debate of who should be in charge, then it will be dark long before we reach the settlement. I suggest we hold off on arguing over this subject until we are no longer in danger of becoming a meal.”</p><p>This managed to get Ratchet and Elaris to shut up on the subject- for now. The two began trudging quickly towards the settlement. “So how exactly did the two of you find me so easily- I mean, I know I about the mysterious map part, but how is it that the first mine you break into-”</p><p>“Hey!”</p><p>Elaris ignored the interruption and continued, “How is it that the first Drophyd mine you break into just happens to be the one I holed up in?”</p><p>“‘Breaking into’ are such harsh words,” Ratchet told her slyly. “I prefer the term ‘letting myself in without the key.’”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m sure you do.”</p><p>“And anyway,” the Lombax continued, “it’s not like we knew which one you were in. We just picked one of the ones that were the least dilapidated, and went in.”</p><p>“I still think that’s a bit convenient,” Elaris retorted.</p><p>“Well, that’s what happened.”</p><p>“I’m not denying that. I just think it’s a little convenient.” Ratchet rolled his eyes. Elaris could think whatever she wanted, for all he cared. After about ten minutes of climbing over snowy dunes and keeping a wide berth between themselves and the YETI dens in the area, a small settlement came into view. Ratchet estimated that it was only another couple hundred yards away, and so he started to pick up the pace a bit.</p><p>Elaris called after him to slow down, but he didn’t seem to hear her. Perhaps he chose not to. In any case, all three were completely unprepared for the attack that came. Elaris, hearing the crunching of snow behind her, whipped about exactly one hundred and eighty degrees- her Plasma Coil at the ready. She had barely enough time to duck as a feline-esque warrior fully clad in metal armour swung a long, double-ended Omni-Wrench at her head.</p><p>“Ratchet!” Clank shouted. “Elaris- she is in trouble-!”</p><p>Ratchet turned on his heel, gripping his own wrench tighter. He felt that strange sensation he felt on Novalis coming over him again- this time it felt it bit stronger. What this meant, he didn’t quite know, but he wasn’t too worried about it at the moment either. The Lombax lunged towards their assailant, swinging his weapon; the wrench smacked into the attacker’s helmet, stunning them for a brief second. Elaris glared at Ratchet in annoyance- she could have handled it herself. She didn’t need this civilian armed with what looked like a deformed gardening tool getting in the way.</p><p>But she shook it off and switched to her Razor Talons. The small, wrist mounted devices were engulfed in a soft blue glow as sharp aqua energy spread out into blades.  Elaris leapt towards the assailant and slashed at them with the Talons. The attacker barely managed to block with their Omni-Wrench. The blades of the Talons sunk a few centimetres into the metal of the wrench’s handle from the heat, but the latter weapon held up.</p><p>The armoured warrior tugged their wrench, pulling it away from Elaris. At the same time, they took a step back and turned their gaze on Ratchet, who had his own Omni-Wrench raised for another swing. Just as he brought it down towards the assailant’s head, said assailant lifted up their wrench to block. “You would fight alongside an outlander?” the warrior snarled, their voice distorted from the helmet.</p><p>“If by outlander you mean Elaris, then yeah-” Ratchet swung again- this attack was also blocked. “What’s it to you?” The attacker only snarled again in response, swinging their wrench more violently than before. Ratchet jumped to the side, barely managing to avoid the attack. “Can you stop trying to kill us for two seconds so we can talk?!”</p><p>Elaris again attempted to slash their foe, but the warrior jumped backwards, dodging the Ranger’s Talons. “Or I could just kill you, and leave your corpses for the wildlife to fight over,” the assailant declared, swinging their wrench at Elaris. The latter jumped out of the way, and Ratchet used this opportunity to whack their attacker in the front of their helmet. The warrior stumbled backwards a bit from the impact. The Lombax didn’t want to give them a chance to react, opting to hit them in the helmet again. This time however, the attacker lifted up their wrench and blocked. “Playtime’s <em>over,”</em> the assailant growled, twirling their wrench and knocking Ratchet’s out of his hands.</p><p>At that same moment, Elaris- who had switched from her Razor Talons to her Shock Ravager- moved behind the warrior and swung the electrified weapon forward, striking the armoured attacker in the back. The warrior spazzed out from the electrical current, then collapsed. “Yeah, you’re right,” Elaris said. “Playtime <em>is</em> over.”</p><p>Ratchet looked at the unconscious form of their assailant, then at Elaris. “Think you could’ve done that five minutes ago?” The Lombax bent down and started searching the snow for his wrench.</p><p>“Do you know how long these things take to charge?” Elaris asked, unequipping her Shock Ravager and kneeling down to help. “I don’t like using the Shock Ravager except as a last resort.”</p><p>“Aha!” Ratchet triumphantly pulled his Omni-Wrench out of a clump of snow.</p><p>“Look out!” Clank shouted. Both Lombax and Elkai whipped about to see a large group of similarly armoured feline-like warriors of varying sizes closing in on them from the village, most armed with Omni-Wrenches and a few armed with what looked like heavily modified Alpha Disruptors.</p><p>“Greeeaaat,” Ratchet muttered, lifting his own wrench into a defensive position. “Just what we need- more of these guys to fight.”</p><p>One of the warriors, whose armour was much older than that of their companions and seemed almost ceremonial in design, stepped forward. Their helmet was tilted towards their fallen ally, whose chest occasionally rose and fell with each breath. “You spared her. Interesting,” the warrior remarked. They removed their helmet and settled their gaze on Ratchet. “Please forgive the aggressiveness with which my sister had greeted you. She’s still young, and rather impulsive.”</p><p>Both Ratchet and Elaris stared at the warrior’s face, stunned.</p><p>“You’re…you… you’re like me?” Ratchet asked, a long-dead hope rising in him. The warrior’s fur matched his own in terms of colour, as well as the shape of her ears and  her facial structure. “The same… species…?” Aside from being at least a foot taller than Ratchet, the resemblance was uncanny.</p><p>“Come on,” the warrior said. “I’ll explain when we’re in the village. It’s almost nightfall.” She turned to one of her fellow warriors and ordered, “Get my sister. I’ll deal with her later, when she wakes up.”</p><p>“And we should trust you <em>why?”</em> Ratchet demanded, crossing his arms and looking at the taller Lombax skeptically.</p><p>“Because it’s nearly night, that’s why,” the warrior retorted, waving her hand in the direction of the sun, which was almost completely obscured by the mountains at this point. “So unless you wanna become food for the locals, I suggest we get a move on.”</p><p>Ratchet looked over at Elaris, who gave him a shrug of the shoulders. “They might be able to help us,” she said. “And anyway, it’s not like we’ve got much of a choice.” She gestured vaguely to the group of warriors who had swarmed around them and started leading them to the settlement.</p><p>“She has a point,” Clank agreed.</p><p>Ratchet scoffed. “Oh, now you’re siding with her-”</p><p>“I am not siding with anyone-”</p><p>“Guys!” Elaris cut in irritably. “Can we not do this right now? No one is siding with anyone. The sooner we’re in the settlement, the sooner we can start looking for Cora.”</p><p>“Okay, okay,” Ratchet said, barely holding back a scowl. “Fine. We’ll do it your way… <em>for now.”</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I brought in the Lombaxes? Yep. Why? I guess you'll have to wait until the next chapter to know. Also, Elkai is a name I got from a random alien name generator because I felt like Elaris' species needed a name.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Seite</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry there isn't any action in this fic, but there will be plenty next chapter- I swear!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Lombax warrior- whose name they came to know as “Angela”- lead the trio into an old compound in the centre of the settlement. While on the outside the building was plain, made from treated Raritanium ore to withstand the harsh arctic elements, the inside was the precise opposite. The inside of the compound was equipped with somewhat elegant furniture, although said furniture looked as if it had seen better days. Ancient glyphs in a language Ratchet didn’t recognise were painted on the metal walls. They seemed vaguely familiar to him, these symbols. But what these glyphs said, he didn’t know. A work table sat at the other end of the room, occupied by a small, ceremonial-looking Omni-Wrench sitting on a stand. Also occupying the table were various other tools, though these looked like normal tools you’d find in a toolbox.</p><p>Angela turned quickly on her heel and looked at her guests with a stern expression. “Alright, tell me why you’re here. What is it that you’re looking for?”</p><p>“We think one of the Galactic Rangers might be hiding out on this planet,” Ratchet explained. “Her name’s Cora.”</p><p>“She’s a Markazian,” Elaris told Angela. “About my height, with short dark brown hair.”</p><p>“Well, she’s definitely not here, I can tell you that much,” Angela replied. “You’re the only outsiders we’ve let into the settlement since Captain Slag began trying to raid our settlement. That was… thirty years ago, I think. Since then, no outlanders have been allowed to enter the settlement.”</p><p>“So why have you let us in?” Clank asked, climbing off of Ratchet’s back so that way he could get a better look around. He locked his luminous green optics on Angela and continued, “Is it because Ratchet is a member of your race?”</p><p>“Yes, that, and…” Angela paused for a moment and then went on, “You look like someone I once knew. The resemblance… it’s really uncanny…”</p><p>“What’re you even talking about?” Ratchet asked a bit irritably, starting to lose patience.</p><p>“Our leader, Kaden- he and his friend Alister Azimuth left the planet almost nineteen years ago now in order to assess the rest of the galaxy and determine whether or not it would be in our best interests to reveal our presence, or to remain hidden as we have for the past two thousand years.”</p><p>“They have never returned, have they?” Clank asked.</p><p>“No, they never came back,” Angela answered, turning away slightly to absent-mindedly study a glyph on the wall. “My mother was Kaden’s advisor. Before he left, he promoted her to be the leader of this settlement. It was supposed to only be temporary, but it eventually became clear that Kaden and Azimuth were never coming back.”</p><p>“‘Azimuth,’” Elaris muttered to herself. That name sounded familiar, albeit vaguely. But where she remembered the name from, and when, she couldn’t recall.</p><p>“After my mother died,” Angela went on, unaware of Elaris’ quiet ruminations, “I inherited the position. And now here we are.”</p><p>“You said Kaden looked like me?” Ratchet pressed, hoping for more answers. “Do you think he and I might be related somehow?”</p><p>“Before he and Azimuth went completely radio silent,” Angela explained, turning back towards her guests, “The last transmission Kaden sent to my mother was about eighteen years ago- I’ve got it here, if you’d like to see it.”</p><p>Ratchet nodded cautiously, and Angela moved towards a cabinet. She opened a drawer and rummaged through the contents, pulling out a small holocube shortly after. Angela held it out in front of her guests and pressed a button on the side of the cube- projecting the form of a male Lombax approximately Ratchet’s height, clad in a modified variant of  Grummel-Net’s Ectoflux armour.</p><p>“Lorna? Is this a bad time?”</p><p>A second, taller female Lombax flickered into visibility in front of him- wearing the same armour Angela was wearing at this moment. “Hmm? Oh, no- have you made any progress in the mission?” Lorna asked, a small smile upon her face.</p><p>“Well, so far so good,” Kaden answered, his stiff body relaxing a bit. Ratchet realised that, despite the slight distortion caused by the age of the recording, Kaden’s voice sounded a lot like his own. And Angela was right about the resemblance- shapes of their eyes and sizes of their ears were almost identical. “The Solana Galaxy seems to be very stable in terms of its government, and most of the people don’t seem to remember the Lombaxes at all. We’re still not entirely sure if it’s safe yet, but things are looking pretty promising.” There was a short pause. “That’s, uh… that’s not why I called though.”</p><p>“Oh? Is there something else?”</p><p>“I met someone, not too long ago,” Kaden explained, averting his gaze from Lorna. “A Cazar. Her name’s Áilísh, and, well… um… she’s… we… may be… dating.”</p><p>“That was a bit painful to watch,” Lorna told him, shaking her head in amusement. “Well? Is she pretty? When’s the wedding? I better be invited-”</p><p>Kaden smiled for split second, then whipped his head around as if he heard something. After a moment, he turned his gaze back on Lorna. “Looks like I gotta go. Until next time.” He gave her a quick salute, which was returned. And then the holograms froze in place.</p><p>“That’s it,” Angela said.</p><p>Ratchet stared at Kaden’s frozen form for a moment. “You think Kaden might be my father?... and this ‘Áilísh’ is my mother?” He shook his head slowly, taking a step back. “But… what happened? Why didn’t they… why didn’t they raise me? If I was their kid… why?”</p><p>“Perhaps something happened to them,” Clank replied, looking over at Ratchet with concern. “Perhaps something happened, and they were unable to care for you.”</p><p>“I know that name,” Elaris said quietly. “Áilísh. Áilísh Phyronix, I think her name was.”</p><p>“‘Was?’” Ratchet asked, turning towards Elaris.</p><p>“She’s dead. She died a long time ago,” Elaris explained. “My predecessor was involved in the investigation. He believed that it may have been foul play, but Captain Qwark shut down the investigation before it could go much further.”</p><p>Ratchet was silent for a moment, and then said, “It’s all in the past now, anyway… we need to focus on the present right now, and that’s putting a stop to Drek’s plans.”</p><p>“I agree,” Clank replied. “Since it appears that Miss Cora is not in the settlement, the only logical conclusion is that she is hiding out inside the enclave in the mountains.”</p><p>“I guess it’s possible your friend is there,” Angela amended. “But there’s no way she could’ve gotten in through the front door- if she has found a way in, it was probably through one of the underground passages.”</p><p>“What’s wrong with the front door?” Ratchet asked. “Did it get blocked by an avalanche or something?”</p><p>“No, no.” Angela shook her head quickly. “I mean the door is sealed. It’s made from Trillium ore- not even thorium charges could get through it. Only those descended from the Azimuth bloodline are able to get in that way.”</p><p>“So we’ll have to go through the tunnels?”</p><p>“Unfortunately, yes,” Angela answered.</p><p>“What do you mean ‘unfortunately?’” Elaris asked. She thought for a second and went on, “There’s something down there, isn’t there? In the tunnels?”</p><p>Angela nodded slowly. “The tunnels used to be where we’d send potential warriors to prove their worth before initiating them into the Pratorean Guard. But in recent years, that’s become impossible. A beast, one of a species we thought to be long extinct, has taken up residence within the caverns. If your friend did take that route, she’s probably dead.”</p><p>“What sort of beast are you talking about?” Clank asked, his programs bringing up his biological database so that he could do a search.</p><p>“We know it as a Grunthor,” Angela explained, “but the space pirates prefer to call it a ‘Carjan Krath Beast.’”</p><p>“Ah yes, I believe I have a record of that species in my database,” Clank cut in. “Native to the planet Carja in the Bogon Galaxy, the Carjan Krath Beasts were brought into the Solana Galaxy during the Great War and were extensively genetically modified to serve as weapons.”</p><p>“So history does remember us,” Angela murmured.</p><p>“This was thousands of years ago, Miss Angela,” Clank told her. “Perhaps by now, the galaxy will see that things have changed, and welcome you.”</p><p>“I hope you’re right.”</p><p>“So where are these caves?” Elaris asked.</p><p>“I’ll guide you to them,” Angela replied, turning around and moving to her worktable. She removed the ceremonial Omni-Wrench from its stand and then walked up to Ratchet, holding it out for him.</p><p>“What are you doing?” Ratchet asked, looking at her in puzzlement.</p><p>“This belonged to Kaden,” Angela explained. “Why he left it here, I don’t know. Perhaps he had forgotten it, but I’ve never known him to be careless, so… maybe his friend Orvus told him to leave it.”</p><p>“Orvus?” Clank murmured, tilting his head slightly. The name seemed very familiar to him, though he could not discern precisely why. He felt as though he should know who this person was, but his memory banks of course provided no answer.</p><p>Ratchet took the wrench and held it in his hand. It fit perfectly in his grip, as if it had been meant to be there. He tele-equipped his other Omni-Wrench in his other hand and studied them both a moment before twirling them. “So now I can whack someone in the face on both sides now!” The Lombax grinned at the prospect.</p><p>“Alright, we’ll head out at first light tomorrow,” Angela said. She looked at Ratchet- who was twirling his wrenches again- and continued, seeming unimpressed, “Try not to break anything while showing off, okay?”</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Ocho</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>The Deplanetiser, Porthos Sector.</em>
</p><p>“LAWWWWWRRRREEEENCE!!!!”</p><p>The robotic butler sighed tiredly as his boss’s screech reached his audio receptors. “Oh dear- I hope his head is not stuck in the freezer again,” Lawrence muttered, dumping the laundry into the washer and turning the aforementioned machine on.  </p><p>“LAAAAWWWWWWWWRRREEEEEENCE!!! GET OVER HERE!!”</p><p>As if Nefarious couldn’t shriek loud enough as it was.</p><p>Lawrence set the laundry basket onto the dryer and made his way to his boss’s office- which wasn’t even a proper office, but rather a glorified broom closet. Nefarious sat in the corner of the office across from the mechanical butler, a holocube clutched in his gloved hands.</p><p>“You screeched for me, sir?” Lawrence drawled in his typical monotonously unimpressed tone.</p><p>“Take a look at <em>this,”</em> Nefarious hissed, pressing a button on the side of the cube. A holographic projection of Drek on his tiny scooter flickered to life. In front of Drek stood a projection of a short, skinny form wrapped in a long black cloak. A pair of glowing, magenta eyes stared out at Drek from underneath the large hood.</p><p>“Ah, Chairman Drek,” the cloaked form drawled out, its voice painfully soft and harsh at the same time. “It’s about time you answered my calls.”</p><p>“What is it this time?” Drek asked, scowling at the form. “I don’t suppose this is about that T-shirt idea I menti-”</p><p>“This has nothing to do with T-shirts.”</p><p>“Then what’s this about??”</p><p>The cloaked form huffed and lifted up a hand. In it rested a small, circular holo-projector. A small image flickered to life, showing the face of a Cragmite. “This is Percival Tachyon. They’re wanted in both the Bogon and Polaris galaxies for… well, a lot of things.”</p><p>“And you’re telling me about this overgrown criminalized grub <em>why?”</em> Drek asked irritably, his scowl deepening.</p><p>“Because my sources tell me they may be coming your way soon,” the cloaked form explained. “And they may attempt to sabotage your operations.”</p><p>“Pfft! Please,” Drek drawled, laughing incredulously at the thought, “I think we can handle them just fine.”</p><p>“Really?” The cloaked figure pressed a button on the side of the projector, and the face of Tachyon fizzled out, being replaced by a set of photographs. Lawrence squinted at the images, trying to see what was in the photographs, but the holographic resolution was too low. “This,” the cloaked form explained, “is what the <em>overgrown criminalized grub </em>did in the Bogon Galaxy.”</p><p>“By the Zoni,” Drek breathed in disbelief. “They… they did <em>that?”</em></p><p>“I don’t think you want to know what else they did,” the cloaked form replied.</p><p>“Well… thanks for the heads up, I guess?”</p><p>“Just be sure to take the necessary precautions.”</p><p>Nefarious deactivated the holo-cube at this point. There was more in the recording, but it had to do with Drek’s stupid T-shirt idea, and the ‘vengeful scientist’ really wasn’t in the mood to listen to that Blarg blathering blatherskite.</p><p>“Why are you showing me this, sir?” Lawrence asked.</p><p>“Because, Lawrence,” Nefarious growled, setting the holo-cube aside, “it means we’ll have to proceed with the plan ahead of schedule.”</p><p>“Are you certain that’s wise-”</p><p>“If there’s even a chance of <em>that</em> Cragmite coming here…” Nefarious interrupted, “… well, I’d rather not take the chance.”</p><p>“Sir?”</p><p>“Don’t you have LAUNDRY you need to be DOING?!!!” Nefarious growled, standing up. Lawrence sighed tiredly- his boss was in <em>that</em> mood again. The kind where if you said even another word, the other person would snap. And possibly trash the place- which would leave more work for Lawrence to do, which was the exact opposite of what he wanted. Without another word, the robotic butler went on his way, headed back to the laundry room.</p><p>As far as Lawrence was concerned, so long as he got paid (which was very little), he didn’t care much about his employer’s current psychological state.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Tundor Wastes, Grelbin- just outside the caverns.</em>
</p><p>“Are these the caverns?” Ratchet asked as the four of them approached the mouth of a massive ice cave carved into the rock face. He tugged his scarf higher over his face- it kept sliding down due to the wind whipping wildly about the snowy dunes.</p><p>“Yes,” Angela answered, not stopping for even a second as she headed towards the cave entrance. “These are the caves. Come on, let’s go.”</p><p>“Not one for small talk, eh?” Ratchet asked Elaris in amusement, shuffling over to her side as they followed Angela into the cave.</p><p>“Perhaps if organics made less small talk,” Clank offered, his voice slightly muffled from Ratchet’s scarf- which had fallen on his face at some point, “they could have things done faster and more efficiently.” The little robot pulled the scarf off his face and tried to shove it back behind his head- a difficult feat, considering the fact that he was on the Lombax’s back and could barely move.</p><p>“No one asked for your opinion,” Ratchet said dryly, somewhat annoyed.</p><p>“I am aware of that fact,” the defect retorted just as dryly. “But as an individual, I am still entitled to express myself.”</p><p>“And if the two of you don’t shut up,” Elaris cut in, her voice slightly hushed, “then that Carjan Krath Beast will hear us and then have us for brunch. So. BE. <em>QUIET.”</em></p><p>This effectively silenced both Lombax and defect for the time being. The path carved through the ice cave was somewhat cramped, but so far it was relatively easy to navigate. The thick, pale blue ice walls reflected the light shining from the group’s shoulder lamps. About three hundred metres or so into the tunnel, the cave opened up from a narrow passage into a massive, dome-shaped cavern. Long, thick icicles hung suspended from the ceiling of the cavern, tiny droplets of water occasionally trickling down. The walls were riddled with thin, nearly invisible cracks. The icy ground itself was decorated with larger, more disconcerting cracks.</p><p>“Hmm,” Clank murmured, scanning the chamber. “I believe this section of the caverns may be on top of a geothermal vent, which would explain the accelerated rate at which the ice is melting.”</p><p>“Right,” Ratchet muttered.</p><p>“Follow me,” Angela told them, stepping out into the chamber. She carefully maneuvered around the cracks, giving them as wide of the berth as possible. Ratchet and Elaris followed her, stepping where she stepped. Ratchet looked up and spotted a narrow tunnel on the other side of the chamber, and presumed that to be their destination. Soon enough, they were only about ten more metres away from the tunnel.</p><p>It was at this partially distracted moment that Ratchet carelessly stepped on an unstable section of ice. An ominous snap crackled throughout the chamber, and the Lombax’s heart just about stopped. “Oh crap.” Another snap could be heard, and the next thing Ratchet and Clank knew, they had both plunged through the ice into a small, winding shaft below. “Waaaaaoooooohhh!!”</p><p>Both Lombax and defect tumbled down the shaft in a less than graceful manner, and landed in an even less graceful heap at the bottom about fifteen seconds or so later. Ratchet just laid there for a few seconds, stunned, before sitting up and wincing in pain from the bruises already forming. “Yup. That hurt. You alright, Clank?”</p><p>“More or less,” the aforementioned robot replied, spitting snow out of his mouth. “Are all your kind this careless, or is it just you?”</p><p>“Honestly?” Ratchet asked. “I have no idea.” The Lombax stood up and shook the snow out of his fur. The com-link fastened to his wrist beeped, demanding his attention. He lifted his arm up and pressed the button on the panel adjacent to the speaker.</p><p><em>“Ratchet!”</em> Elaris’ voice crackled through the speaker. <em>“Ratchet, are you okay?”</em></p><p>“Yeah, we’re fine,” Ratchet told her. “Just a got a little banged up is all.”</p><p>
  <em>“Is there any way you can get back up the way you came?”</em>
</p><p>“I’m not sure,” Ratchet admitted, moving back towards the shaft through which they had fallen. It looked too flat and slippery to climb up by hand, and at some point on the way down, his climbing axe must’ve gotten caught on something, because the loop on his belt where said axe was supposed to be was more or less shredded, and the tool itself nowhere to be seen. And while wrenches were good for smashing things and screwing in bolts and such, Ratchet doubted that they would be any good for climbing. Clank’s thruster pack was also out of the question- it only had so much thrust power, which could be used for either gliding, or very brief flights across a short distance such as a small gap. And the thing ran out of fuel so quickly anyway, it was ridiculous.</p><p>Clank seemed to be thinking the same thing Ratchet was. “We will have to simply keep moving,” the defect said quietly. “At the moment, it appears to be our only option.”</p><p>“I think Clank and I are gonna have to find another route,” Ratchet told Elaris, turning around and heading down the very narrow tunnel before them. “There’s another passage down here- it’s kind of a tight fit, but so far so good. Hopefully this leads back up to where you guys are…” The Lombax really didn’t want to think of what the alternative might be. “You two be careful up there, okay?”</p><p><em>“We will,”</em> Elaris told him gently. <em>“You be careful too.”</em></p><p>With that, the exchange ended, and Ratchet resumed his trek through the tunnel. It became extremely narrow at some points, requiring some careful maneuvers to squeeze through safely. Soon enough it opened up into a wider passage, and eventually into another massive chamber. Thankfully, this one had no visible signs of being on top of a thermal vent. What was unusual, however, was the giant metal door installed in the ice wall of one side of the chamber. The door was intricate in detail- it was made out of a bronze-coloured alloy and inlayed with a trim that washed the cavern in a soft, pale blue glow. Whether the light was due to some sort phosphorescent compound or organism- or even technology- the Lombax wasn’t sure.</p><p>Clank hopped off of Ratchet’s back, his little feet clanking as they hit the ice floor. He turned around and studied the door curiously. “Hmm…” The defect took a few steps closer to the structure. “This door… it seems to be almost familiar to me… however, I am not certain as to why…”</p><p>Before Ratchet could stop him, Clank had already stepped on a small, circular, ice covered platform that seemed to be made of the same material as the door. The platform sunk slightly into the ground from the little robot’s weight.</p><p><em>“Please hold for Identi-Scan,”</em> a feminine computerised voice boomed from seemingly out of nowhere. A bright red cone of light flashed to life from a small bulb installed in the frame lining the top of the door itself- enveloping Clank for a few moments. The red light flickered, then changed to an aqua-blue hue. <em>“Identi-Scan complete. Identity has been confirmed. Greetings, XJ-0461. You are cleared to proceed.”</em></p><p>The cone of light vanished, and a rumbling started to shake the chamber. The door slowly slid open, revealing a wide, metal hallway made of the same materials on the other side. “Whoa…” Ratchet murmured, walking up to where Clank was standing. “I… I don’t think that this is a coincidence…” The Lombax shook his head. “Never mind. Let’s… let’s check it out.”</p><p>Clank nodded silently, and clambered up to his usual spot on the feline’s back. Confusion ran rampant throughout his circuitry. He was not quite sure what was happening right now, and something told him that whatever lay beyond that door would only lead to more questions.</p><hr/><p>Meanwhile, Elaris followed Angela down the next tunnel. They had to inch their way through one at a time, as the passage was extremely narrow to the point of being claustrophobic. Thankfully it was only for about a minute- the tunnel quickly widened up again, and Elaris was free to breathe easy.  She opened her mouth to say something to Angela, but the latter raised her hand for silence. Angela’s fluffy ears were perked up, the fur on her barely visible neck slowly rising.</p><p>“What is it?” Elaris whispered, tele-equipping her Plasma Coil. It was obvious from Angela’s body language that she had heard something.</p><p>“There’s another chamber at the end of this tunnel,” Angela explained in a hushed tone. “I can hear something in there…” The Lombax tiptoed closer to the edge of the tunnel, gripping her Omni-Wrench tightly. She gestured for Elaris to stay put, much to the Elkai’s annoyance. Nevertheless, Elaris stayed where she was- after all, this was the Lombax’s turf, not hers.  </p><p>Angela peeked around the corner, her eyes scanning the chamber slowly. Her gaze quickly locked onto a fully-grown Grunthor curled up in a ball in the corner of the chamber, its breath rising and falling steadily in the rhythm of sleep.</p><p>“Well, good news,” Angela said quietly, looking back at Elaris. “We now know where the Grunthor is. The bad news? It’s right in our way.”</p><p>“So what’s the plan?”</p><p>Angela thought for a moment, quickly considering their options and discarding most of them. She stepped away from the mouth of the tunnel and said, “Okay… here’s what we’re gonna do…”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yeah, I snuck in some more references to a certain video game, lol.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Nueve</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yeah, I'm on a roll with this- let's see how long it lasts lol.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The plan fell apart in less than fifteen seconds flat. It quickly became apparent that this particular Grunthor was immune to electrical shocks; this was likely a genetic modification that the Lombaxes had eventually forgotten about during their nearly two thousand years of isolation. Elaris had briefly wondered what else they had forgotten as the centuries passed; the Lombax settlement was a tad bit primitive in comparison to the vast Empire they had once ruled over prior to their disappearance. At least now she remembered where she had heard the name Azimuth before, and the family’s long, bloodshed ridden role in intergalactic history.</p><p>Not that that information really helped Elaris and Angela with their current predicament- which involved a very angry Grunthor disturbed from its nap. A genetically modified one at that.</p><p>Angela twirled her Omni-Wrench in her hands, both ends of it glowing a soft gold as it began to charge up. Elaris tele-equipped her Annihilator- she was never really fan of weapons as destructive as this one (she preferred to not kill her opponents if at all possible) - but at the moment, she was more concerned about making sure neither her nor Angela got killed. She aimed the missile launcher at the Grunthor and pulled the trigger, unleashing a swarm of rockets. Said rockets impacted the beast’s scaly hide and exploded in a burst of fireworks. As the smoke cleared, however, it seemed that the only thing the missiles did was anger the Grunthor further. It turned its attention to Elaris and snarled, corrosive saliva dripping from its gaping maw, and charged. The Elkai jumped out of the way, tucking and rolling. She landed on her feet and quickly got back into a battle stance.</p><p>Angela’s wrench had charged to full power by this point. The Lombax swung the double-ended tool/weapon, spinning around twice, and launched a ball of crackling flames at the Grunthor. The giant reptile yelped upon impact and stumbled backwards. Its scales where the blast had hit were now blackened, but the creature wasn’t out of the fight yet. It charged at Angela, who leapt to the side- barely avoiding the Grunthor’s open, drooling jaws as it tried to snatch her up.</p><p>Elaris took aim and fired at the Grunthor again. The missiles hit their target once more- some even landed on the giant critter’s scorched scales. The massive reptile snarled in pain, and looked back and forth between Angela and Elaris, as if considering which one to charge next. Angela took this moment to aim her Omni-Wrench at the Grunthor and let the weapon charge. As soon as the reptile turned its head back towards her, the Omni-Wrench unleashed another ball of fire- which crashed violently right into the creature’s open mouth.</p><hr/><p>As Ratchet walked down the bronze-like hallway, he stared up in awe at the ancient glyphs carved into the metal walls. Something about this place seemed awfully familiar to him, but he wasn’t quite sure what. “Clank… is it just me, or… does this place give you… I dunno, a feeling of déjà vu?”</p><p>“I do seem to find this place be rather familiar as well, yes,” Clank replied after a moment or two of consideration. “But I do not see how either one of us could have possibly been here before…”</p><p>Ratchet lifted his hand and let his fingertips brush the wall, slowly tracing one of the glyphs. “… Zoni?…”</p><p>“I beg your pardon?”</p><p>“These symbols,” Ratchet explained, his voice now a bit steadier. “They’re Zoni. But how the heck could I know that- that- it’s impossible! I’ve never seen these symbols before in my life!”</p><p>“Do you know what they say?” Clank asked, his tone sinking into concern. Things were becoming distressingly strange, and it put the defect on edge.</p><p>“Sorta… I can understand some of them, but most seem like plain gibberish to me.” Ratchet pointed to a series of glyphs on one section of the wall. “Like, these ones here-” Clank hopped off of the Lombax’s back so that he could actually see where he was pointing. “- these talk about some kind of tear in the universe… and then it talks about something being built… a ‘Keeper of Time?’”</p><p>“Hmm…” Clank scanned the symbols with his optics carefully and relayed everything to his translation matrix. In a moment, he replied, “I believe your interpretation of these glyphs is indeed accurate. According to the text I have translated so far, there was a tear in the universe at one point. This ‘Keeper of Time’ you mentioned was apparently constructed by the Zoni to repair the damage. However, I can find no similarities to the events these symbols narrate and what is provided of historical events, famous or otherwise, in my database. Either these events took place outside of known space, or they occurred before the Technomites rose to power in the second century.”</p><p>“I really didn’t think today would involve me getting a <em>history lesson,”</em> Ratchet muttered, rolling his eyes. “At least there’s no test.”</p><p>The com link on the Lombax’s wrist crackled to life, and Elaris’ voice greeted them. <em>“Ratchet, Clank- are you there?”</em></p><p>“Yeah, we’re here. Is something wrong?” The feline resumed his trek down the hall, his eyes locked onto the glyphs. The more he studied them, the more he seemed to understand. The language seemed to come to him naturally, as if he had learned it a very long time ago, and was just now remembering it. But that was impossible… right? Clank walked beside Ratchet, also scanning the ancient symbols.</p><p>
  <em>“No, just checking in. We took care of the Krath Beast, and now we’re back on track and headed for the enclave. Have you guys made any progress?”</em>
</p><p>“You could say that,” Ratchet replied. “Clank and I found some kind of door down here and… it’s kind of hard to explain. I… I think this place might’ve been constructed by the Zoni. There’s ancient Zoni symbols <em>all over</em> these walls-”</p><p>
  <em>“Ratchet, hold on, Angela is trying to tell me something- okay, it looks like she wants to talk to you.”</em>
</p><p>A moment passed, and Angela’s voice could be heard over the com. <em>“You and Clank- you said that you and him got through the door??”</em></p><p>“Yeah- wait, wait! Did you know this was here?”</p><p>There was a pause, and some nervous mutterings on the other end of the com- then Angela said, <em>“I… I can’t say anything else. I’m sorry, Ratchet.”</em></p><p>“What?” Ratchet stopped walking and quickly looked down at his com. What did she mean by that? She obviously knew something about this area that <em>they</em> didn’t. “Angela- what’re you talking about??” There was no answer. Ratchet turned his gaze away from his com and looked at Clank. “Looks like we’re still on our own with this, huh?”</p><p>“It appears that way,” Clank amended.</p><p>“C’mon, let’s see what else is down here. Hopefully we can get some answers- whether it’s here, or from Angela.”</p><hr/><p>“What was that all about?” Elaris demanded, following after Angela- who had picked up the pace and was speed-walking down the passage. “Angela?”</p><p>“I… I can’t say,” Angela told her in a low voice, stopping at the mouth of the tunnel and motioning for Elaris to do the same. “Your friends… they’re… <em>special</em>. That’s all I can really tell you- every event from this moment has to occur in the correct manner, and if I say any more, then… never mind. Now hush. I can smell them- the YETIs. They’re in that chamber up ahead. Get ready.” Elaris nodded quietly in response, tele-equipping her Plasma Coil.  She would let the matter rest- <em>for now.</em> The Elkai moved to other other side of the tunnel’s mouth and waited as the Lombax warrior lifted her hand and lowered each finger one at a time.</p><p>
  <em>One. Two. Three! </em>
</p><p>Angela took the left, and Elaris took the right. Elaris’ Plasma Coil unleashed blast after blast of electrical energy, leaving heaps of unconscious YETIs in their wake. Some only became groggy, and needed an extra shot or two put them to sleep. Angela swung her Omni-Wrench and smashed every YETI who came in a three foot radius of her right in the face. Her movements where quick and calculated, yet also very smooth- as though she had done this a thousand times before. Having lived on Grelbin her entire life, it would be unsurprising if she had done this before.</p><p>Soon enough, every YETI in the chamber was out cold, and the duo resumed their objective. Elaris tried to question Angela further about Ratchet and Clank, but the Lombax hushed her and said, “It’s not time yet.”</p><p>Naturally, this only served to annoy Elaris further.</p><hr/><p>If Ratchet thought the ancient glyphs in the hallway were strange- which he did- then what lay beyond the door at the end was just downright <em>bizarre</em>. On the other side of the hall was a massive cathedral-like room- the bronze ceiling extending upwards for several stories, and leading up to a jagged hole at the top, where the sun shone through- as well as a strange aqua-blue light that seemed to defy the laws of physics, and split into multiple separate streams that curled around the room. The walls were even farther apart, and were accompanied by thick stone columns supporting the ceiling. Some of these columns were partially disintegrated, however, and some particularly large chunks that should have fallen to the floor during erosion were instead suspended in mid-air by the aforementioned blue light.</p><p>Clank stood beside Ratchet, staring in awe at the strange, yet wondrous- both aesthetically and scientifically- scene before them. “Hmm… intriguing! It appears this room is trapped in a state of temporal flux.”</p><p>“In <em>English</em>, Clank,” Ratchet requested, not taking his eyes off the blue light. His tail flicked from side to side nervously.</p><p>“Time in this room seems to be frozen- at least, wherever that blue energy touches,” Clank explained. It was at this moment that the broken pieces of column trapped in the energy shifted suddenly, and moved to slot back together to reform the destroyed columns- and then shifted again back into mid-air suspension. “Interesting… it appears time is not only frozen, but… well… I do not believe I have any possible explanation for what we just saw.”</p><p>“Well, we’re not gonna learn anything if we just stand here,” Ratchet said. “C’mon, let’s take a look around. And… uh, not touch that blue stuff. I’d rather not know what it might do to us…”</p><p>Clank gave a silent nod in agreement. “I will take the right side of the room, and you may take the left.”</p><p>“Since when did you start giving orders?”</p><p>Clank merely shrugged, and moved off to the right, bright green optics scanning the ancient runes engraved on the wall and translating them.  Ratchet took the left, albeit slightly begrudgingly. The Lombax studied the runes on his side as well, reading them to the best of his ability.</p><p>“Clank?” Ratchet called from the other end of the room.</p><p>“Yes, Ratchet? Have you found something?”</p><p>“No, I just wanted to ask… your database contains information about the Lombaxes, right? So how come you didn’t seem to know I was a Lombax? Wait, do- do you know where the Lombaxes came from? What planet?”</p><p>Clank tore his gaze from the wall and made his way over to Ratchet, making sure to avoid the blue energy curling around the room. “To answer your first question, I believe initially my database was not fully functional at the time- this may have something to do with the missing data in my memory banks, some of which I still have not recovered. As to your second question, the Lombax homeworld is not in my databanks. In fact, I believe that information may have been purposefully removed during my construction. Why, however, I cannot fathom.”</p><p>There was a moment of silence before Ratchet said, “Back on Veldin… what was it you were gonna say?”</p><p>“I beg your pardon?”</p><p>“You were about to say I was desensitised to something,” Ratchet explained. “What was it you were gonna say? I’m desensitised to violence? Death?”</p><p>Clank tilted his head curiously. “Is there something you are trying to say, Ratchet?”</p><p>A long moment passed, and the defect started to think that the Lombax wouldn’t answer, when Ratchet finally said, “I didn’t grow up on Veldin alone. There was someone… he adopted me from the orphanage when I was just a baby. His name was Grimroth. And… well… he… got really sick… and…”</p><p>Clank at once realised what had happened. “I am so sorry, Ratchet.”</p><p>“It’s fine, Clank,” the Lombax said gently. “There wasn’t anything anyone could really do for him… we’ve got more important things to worry about right now, anyway.” Ratchet turned to face Clank, and saw another door at the end of the room. “C’mon, I don’t think we’ll find anything helpful in here. Looks like there’s another room ahead.” Clank merely nodded and followed after the Lombax.</p><p>The door slid open as they approached, revealing another hallway- though, unlike the previous, it wasn’t exactly empty. In the centre of the corridor stood a tall, thin robot made of the same bronze-like material as the rest of the Zoni structure. In its motionless hands rested a long metal staff also made of the same metal compound. Its eyes, which initially were dark, suddenly lit up a bright greenish-blue- indicating activation. The ancient machine straightened up, took one looks at the Lombax and the defect, and said, <em>“Intruders detected. Initiating Protocol 66.”</em></p><p>“Great- so if it’s not a Krath Beast, it’s gotta be a robot guard armed with only Zoni knows what,” Ratchet groaned, motioning with one hand for Clank to get on his back and tele-equipping his Lancer in the other. “I swear, if you point out the irony in-” Just as Clank got onto the Lombax’s back, the Zoni robot chose to lift its staff and fire an energy blast at Ratchet. The feline barely managed to jump out of the way in time. The blast flew by and got caught in one of the blue streams of light curling about the area. Ratchet scrambled back to his feet as the machine slowly walked into the room, feet clanking against the metal floor ominously.</p><p>Ratchet didn’t waste a second- already he had raised his Lancer, took aim at the robot guardian, and pulled the trigger.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Diez</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ratchet back flipped, narrowly avoiding the crackling ball of energy that the mechanical sentinel had lobbed at him. At the same time- just as the Lombax’s feet returned to the ground- he lifted up his Lancer, took aim at the robot’s head, and fired. The Lancer’s blaster bolt ricocheted off to the side with a loud ping upon impact- indicating that the weapon was ineffective against this machine. Great. Just great. Ratchet tele-equipped his Omni-Wrenches and ducked as the sentinel swung its staff and lobbed another ball of energy at him. The aforementioned ball sailed over the feline’s head and crashed into the wall behind him, instantly crumbling that particular section of it. Ratchet scurried forward and dropped to one knee as he swung both wrenches forward- intent on disabling his foe by smashing in its mechanical kneecaps.</p><p>The sentinel jumped backwards, barely managing to avoid the Lombax’s strike. Ratchet didn’t hesitate and lunged forward, lifting his wrenches up in the air and bringing them down hard upon the robot’s bronze-like exoskeleton. Said exoskeleton seemed to instantaneously crumple underneath the impact. However, even as sparks flew dangerously from the machine’s damaged head, it still had some fight left in it. The sentinel kicked Ratchet in the chest, knocking him off onto the floor in heap.</p><p>The Lombax lay there for a second, stunned. The guardian robot straightened up and aimed its staff at him- the weapon quickly beginning to charge. Ratchet sat up in a flash and smashed his Omni-Wrench into the weapon, diverting its aim away from him. The staff fired and launched an energy orb into a nearby wall. At the same time, Ratchet brought his other Omni-Wrench down onto the sentinel’s head over and over again, wincing as sparks flying from the circuitry underneath brushed against him, singing his fur a bit.</p><p>The mechanical guard sunk to its knees, its aqua eyes flickering intermittently. “Sy… syst… <em>systems failing, master-”</em> Ratchet smashed his wrench into the machine’s head one more time, effectively silencing it for good. The sentinel slumped forward onto the floor, no longer sparking, and instead emitting a steady stream of smoke. </p><p>“You alright back there, Clank?” Ratchet asked after taking a moment to steady himself- he was starting to wonder if all this adrenaline was any good for his body or not.</p><p>“I am intact,” Clank answered, his voice muffled again by the Lombax’s scarf. He struggled to move it back over behind his head as he went on, “I also noticed something rather strange- the energy signature you tend to emit during combat was much stronger than in previous enemy encounters. In addition, it seems fairly similar to the energy here in this room.”</p><p>“So what, you’re saying…” The Lombax paused as the thought fully formed in his mind. “… so what does this mean? That we were <em>destined</em> to come here?” The words came out almost bitterly.</p><p>“I do not know,” Clank replied after a moment. “And that is what troubles me.”</p><p>Ratchet didn’t respond- instead he walked back over to the hall from which the sentinel had come, both wrenches still in hand. He stopped, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. The Lombax then opened his eyes and muttered, “Let’s hope whatever is in here is worth it.”</p><p>“A route back to Elaris and Angela would certainly be worth it,” Clank pointed out. Ratchet shrugged- that was true. He’d really rather not die of dehydration or hypothermia or mysterious-Zoni-deathbot-guard down here. Clank would probably be fine for a little while, but eventually his power cells would run out and…</p><p>Ratchet shook his head. <em>Stop thinking like that</em>, he told himself. They would find a way out somehow. He started walking down the corridor, eyes occasionally flicking to the runes carved into the walls. Was it just him, or did they seem to be glowing as he walked past them? At the end of the hall, in the floor in front of the door, there was a small circular platform- much like the one they encountered in the cavern chamber.</p><p>“Hey, Clank, think you can get this door open?”</p><p>Clank jumped off of Ratchet’s back and turned around to see the door ahead. “Hmm… if this door functions similarly to the one in the caverns, I believe so.” The little defect walked up to the platform and stepped onto it. It sunk into the floor slightly from his weight, and a red cone of light flashed to life, washing the robot in its glow. After a moment, the light switched to an aqua-blue colour.</p><p>
  <em>“Identi-Scan complete. Identity has been confirmed. Greetings, XJ-0461. You are cleared to proceed. Please watch your step.”</em>
</p><p>The door slid open with a soft hiss.</p><p>Ratchet and Clank stepped through the newly made opening, and was greeted by a wide, mostly cylindrically shaped room. Save for one unusual feature, this area was more or less unimpressive. This unusual feature was on the other side of the room, taking up a massive section of wall, was a black, orb-shaped structure with a small, dull blue optic in the centre. Light blue trim lined the structure with strange geometric shapes. Whether this served any purpose, the Lombax didn’t know. What was obvious, however, was that this was clearly some sort of machine. As the duo stepped closer to it, the optic installed in the machine lit up, and a soft hum could be heard as it returned to life.</p><p><em>“Ratchet. Clank,”</em> the structure greeted in a computerised feminine voice. Ratchet lifted his wrenches cautiously- who knows what weapons this thing could be equipped with. And the fact that it knew their names just made it all the more creepy, to say the least.<em> “I have been expecting you for quite some time.”</em></p><p>“What are you?” Clank asked, tilting his head curiously. “How is it that you know our names?”</p><p><em>“I am IRIS,”</em> the machine “IRIS” answered. <em>“I was constructed fifty-four million, three hundred sixty five thousand, and eight Veldinian cycles ago by the Technomites to help the Zoni. It has been a very long time since I have seen either species. In fact, it has been a long time since I’ve seen anyone.”</em></p><p>“Wait, you said <em>Veldinian</em> cycles?” Ratchet asked, looking at IRIS for a moment before turning his gaze on Clank. “That would’ve been thousands of years ago, wouldn’t it?”</p><p>“Yes,” Clank answered. “It seems IRIS has been around for quite some time.”</p><p>Ratchet looked back over at IRIS. “So why did the Technomites build you? What’s your purpose?”</p><p><em>“I was constructed to be the most powerful supercomputer of my era,”</em> IRIS explained. <em>“My purpose is to not only provide vast quantities of information, but to also anticipate future events using that information. These algorithms were put into my programming so that the universe would never have to experience anything like the Great Tear ever again.”</em></p><p>“What do you mean by ‘The Great Tear?’” Ratchet asked, a sinking feeling settling in his stomach. Somehow he knew the answer before it even left IRIS’ vocal processor.</p><p>
  <em>“The Great Tear was a horrific event that occurred almost three hundred years before the establishment of the Inter-Galactic Calendar. The Ekari- whom you now know as the ‘Fongoids’- became particularly careless with their use of time travel. This carelessness resulted in the space time continuum ripping apart. The entire universe was nearly destroyed. If it had not been for the Zoni, all life would most certainly have been extinguished. They constructed a great technological wonder at the exact centre of the universe- give or take fifty feet- called the ‘Keeper of Time.’ </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“This Keeper of Time is even more complex than I, and was designed for a singular purpose. To repair the damage done to the universe, and control the flow of time so that another Great Tear may never happen again. The Technomites aided in its construction, and then built me so that the Zoni could use me to anticipate future threats to the stability of the time stream.”</em>
</p><p>“So where are the Zoni and the Technomites now?” Clank shivered unconsciously- something about all this seemed eerily familiar.</p><p>
  <em>“The Technomites were all wiped out when Adair Azimuth took control of the Solana Galaxy in 488 Standard Inter-Galactic Time. The Zoni remain at the Keeper of Time to keep it maintained. They have ceased to make any major influence upon the universe, with Orvus being the only one to leave on occasion. Time has all but erased their existence, leaving the Zoni as almost nothing more than myths and legends to everyone else.”</em>
</p><p>“And how are Clank and I tied into all this?”</p><p>
  <em>“Processing… processing… processing… I am sorry, but it seems that the last person to access my mainframe has purposefully installed a block to that information. I am unable to retrieve it for you.”</em>
</p><p>“Wait- if you can predict the future-”</p><p>“Anticipate<em> future events,”</em> IRIS corrected.</p><p>“Right- then- can’t you tell us what Drek is planning?” Ratchet pressed. “And why he needs the Galactic Rangers gone?”</p><p>
  <em>“Processing… processing… processing… processing…  I am sorry, but it seems that the last person to access my mainframe has purposefully installed a block to that information. I am unable to retrieve it for you.”</em>
</p><p>Ratchet sighed. Of course. “Is there anything at all that you can tell us that may aid in our objective?” Clank asked.</p><p>
  <em>“There is one thing- remember these words when you reach Reepor: potential allies can come from even the most unlikely of places. Choose your actions wisely. The fate of not only the galaxy, but all existence itself, will depend on it.”</em>
</p><p>“That was… definitely vague,” Ratchet commented. “One last thing- can you tell us how to get outta here? So, you know, we don’t die and doom the whole galaxy and all that?”</p><p>
  <em>“I will upload the necessary data to your nav-unit. Connecting… uploading… there. You should be able to find your way to the enclave now.”</em>
</p><p>“One more thing before we go…” Ratchet’s eyes flicked down to the floor, as if he were afraid to ask the question on his mind. “Are Kaden and Áilísh my parents?”</p><p>
  <em>“A moment please… yes… and no. Safe journey, Ratchet and Clank. I know that one day, you will both be able to find what you are looking for.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Once</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ehhh, this chapter isn't my favourite. There are some parts I'm not really all that happy with, so I'll be probably wind up rewriting it at one point, Idk.</p><p>Anyways, kudos to whoever guesses the next planet they go to! (Hint: Remember the highlighted planets from chapter four.)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>IRIS’ map proved to be very helpful- Ratchet and Clank managed to reach the entrance of the Lombax enclave- which was basically a massive whole in the wall caused by thousands of years of oxidation- at almost the exact same time as Elaris and Angela.</p><p><em>What did IRIS mean?</em> Ratchet wondered. <em>“Yes and no”? That doesn’t make any sense-</em></p><p>“Did you guys find anything down there?” Elaris asked, effectively cutting the Lombax’s train of thought short.</p><p>Ratchet shrugged. “Nothing that really made any sense. We’ll figure it out later- we still need to find Cora.” Angela entered the enclave first, her Omni-Wrench at the ready. After a moment, she gave the all-clear signal and the rest of the group followed in after her. It was clear that the enclave had seen better days- the walls were a bright fiery red, and in some places there were large holes that exposed chewed-on circuitry underneath.</p><p>Stacks of metal bolt crates leaned against some of the walls. Semi- large piles of loose bolts could also be found on the floor, indicating that wooden bolt crates were stacked there at one point too, and obviously fell victim to time… and bacteria.</p><p>Ratchet pocketed these loose bolts, much to the chagrin of the others- his reasoning was that since no one was here and was using them, why waste perfectly good bolts? Besides, he wasn’t going to go so far as to try and destroy the metal crates- not when this place was more or less very unstable and likely to collapse on their heads if one were dumb enough to lob a grenade at a couple of crates.</p><p>The group made a slow and thorough sweep of the enclave. Aside from some precious treasures they found in the armoury- a pair of still-functional hoverboots, a semi-legal kinetic tether, and a Gyrocycle that seemed to be modified with a set of wings and blasters- so far they had found nothing. No sign of Cora whatsoever. Soon enough, there was only one room left to search- the control room. One computer spike from Clank, a little hacking skill from Ratchet, and the door was open a minute later. And no Cora.</p><p>Elaris walked in first, muttering to herself, “No no no…” Ratchet and the others followed in after her, and spread out to do a search. Perhaps, if Cora was here at one point, they could find a clue as to what may have happened to her.</p><p>“Odd,” Clank murmured as his gaze traveled slowly across the room.</p><p>“What’s odd?” Ratchet asked, turning towards the defect. He didn’t know how to explain it, but he felt it too. There was something in this room. Something… strange, for a lack of better words. It was Clank who clarified precisely what.</p><p>“It appears that some sort of residual energy was left behind by… well, what, I am not certain of,” Clank explained, looking at Ratchet. “It appears to be distinctly similar to that left behind by a gravo-metric warp drive. However, I doubt that such a device is the cause of this energy.”</p><p>Angela picked an object off a nearby worktable and examined it, turning it over in her hands slowly. “A three and three fourths centicubit hexagonal washer…”</p><p>“A what now?” Elaris asked, a degree of incredulousness in her voice. What in Solana was a common plumbing part doing in an ancient Lombax enclave?</p><p>“A three and three fourths centicubit hexagonal washer,” Angela repeated. “It looks like this one is broken though… but…” She turned towards Clank. “You said that you detected energy in this room. Similar to a gravo-metric warp drive- correct?”</p><p>“Yes. Why do you ask?”</p><p>Angela thought a moment and then shook her head. “We won’t know for sure until we do a more thorough search of the room. Let’s keep looking.” After a moment of them all  rummaging through the metal cabinets and chests, Clank triumphantly pulls out a small datapad from one of the cabinets’ drawers.</p><p>“Hm. I believe I may have found something.” The defect plugged his finger into a small outlet on the pad and the screen brightened, indicating the device was powering up. After a moment, the screen changed and displayed a set of images that appeared to be blueprints. Clank translated the Lombax runes as best he could and went on, “I believe these are plans for something called… the Dimensionator? But… it does not appear to be Lombax technology.”</p><p>“What’re you talking about?” Ratchet asked.</p><p>Clank removed his finger from the pad’s outlet and turned the aforementioned object around so the others could see the screen. “I have recovered more information about the Lombaxes and their technology- however, the design of this Dimensionator does not match up with any of the designs used in Lombax technology. At least, not that I can find in my database.”</p><p>“That’s because we didn’t build it,” Angela clarified. “Our anscestors stole it from the Cragmites during the Great War. The Empress of the Azimuth Empire at the time- Juhani Azimuth- used the Dimensionator to send her warships to various worlds, both Cragmite and not… Reepor, Orxon, Umbris…”</p><p>“Those were worlds that were glassed during the Great War,” Clank said. Angela gave an affirmative nod in response. The defect continued, “You are saying that Juhani had used the Dimensionator to send her warships to those worlds and have them glassed?”</p><p>Angela nodded again and lifted up the three and three fourths centicubit hexagonal washer. “This is a crucial part of the Dimensionator- it can still function without it, but… it’s erratic. Unpredictable. It can send its user to a completely different world than they intended- or even rip the user apart if the portal is unstable.”</p><p>“… guys?” Elaris’ voice was very quiet and uncertain. Ratchet looked over and saw her at a nearby computer console, holding a small tiara in her hands. The tiara was simple in its design-the only distinct feature being a large, pale blue jewel inlaid in its centre. “This tiara… it was Cora’s….”</p><p>A shiver passed over Ratchet. “Do you think…?”</p><p>“It’s possible that your friend took the Dimensionator and used it to leave this planet,” Angela explained, her voice a note lower. “But without the washer in place to keep it from malfunctioning… who knows where she ended up… or if she even survived the trip.”</p><p>“But <em>why?”</em> Elaris asked, still looking down at the tiara clutched in her hands. “Why would she just up and leave- and use a device that she doesn’t even know how to <em>operate</em>- what if she’s-”</p><p>“Elaris,” Ratchet interrupted gently, waving his hands in a “calm down” motion. “Take a deep breath.” Elaris turned her head towards him, locking her worried gaze on the Lombax. “I’m sure Cora had a good reason to do what she did. And anyway, we don’t even know for sure if she used the Dimensionator or not.”</p><p>“But why did she leave this behind?” Elaris demanded, holding the tiara out to Ratchet.</p><p>“I don’t know- maybe she left it for if we happened to come across it when…” The Lombax trailed off. “But IRIS said it hadn’t seen anyone else for a long time!”</p><p>“IRIS also explained that it was constructed thousands of years ago,” Clank added. “It is possible that, if Cora had spoken to it, that it simply did not remember. Much like an organic’s brain, a computer core can become corrupted over time. It is possible that this is what happened to IRIS.”</p><p>“I guess you’re right,” Ratchet amended. He supposed it was<em> possible</em> that Cora had spoken to IRIS- perhaps the supercomputer had told her something important that caused her to leave Grelbin with the Dimensionator. Assuming she had taken it, that is. Since none of them had come across the device itself in the enclave, it was likely she had. The Lombax considered going back down to IRIS and asking it some more questions, but who knew if it would actually answer. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to try.</p><p>“‘IRIS?’” Elaris repeated blankly.</p><p>“Uhhh, kind of a long story,” Ratchet explained. “How about we just show you?”</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Lombax Village- Tundor Wastes, Grelbin.</em>
</p><p>As it turned out, questioning IRIS proved fruitless. The supercomputer did not seem to recall ever encountering Cora, and any information regarding her current whereabouts was sealed off by the last person to access its mainframe. The identity of this mystery person had also been locked away, and so the group decided it was time to move on and try to continue their objective as best they could.</p><p> Which meant that they had to try and find both Brax and Captain Qwark before Drek got to them first.</p><p>So the group spent the night in the caverns, and then in the morning returned to the village. Just as they had reached the outskirts, Angela turned towards them and said, “Before you three leave, I want to speak to my sister about something. Please, go and wait inside the main compound for me. My sister and I will be there shortly.” Before any of the others could get a word in, the female Lombax had already turned around and was making her way towards one of the igloos inside the village.</p><p> Elaris shook her head and looked at Ratchet and Clank. “Alright, you heard her- let’s go.”</p><p>“What does her sister have to do with anything, aside from attacking us?” Ratchet asked irritably as he and Clank followed Elaris to the compound.</p><p>“I suppose we will simply have to wait and see,” Clank answered as the three of them trudged through the snow-blanketed settlement towards the compound. “Angela has been very helpful to us- it would not be fair if we did not at the very least show we are grateful by doing what she asks, as long as it does not impede our mission.” By then, the trio had entered the compound and stood waiting.</p><p>Ratchet merely huffed at Clank’s logical response. They didn’t have to wait very long, however, and soon enough Angela returned- with a shorter, pale blue Lombax in heavy winter clothes at her side. “Ratchet, Clank, Elaris- this is my sister Sachari,” Angela explained, gesturing to the feline beside her. “She’s the one who… well, attacked you when you first came. But that’s not why we’re here. While I don’t understand entirely what’s been going on in the Solana galaxy in recent years, from what Elaris has told me of the situation this Alonzo Drek poses a dangerous threat- I want to help stop him.” She paused for a moment and went on, “In other words, I want to join you. And I’m bringing my sister along.”</p><p>“For the record, she blackmailed me into this,” Sachari claimed, only to receive a painful nudge in the shoulder for her trouble.</p><p>“As much as we appreciate your offer of assistance,” Clank said, “there is only enough room in our ship for three people.”</p><p>“You three aren’t the only ones with a ship,” Angela told them. She made a “follow me” motion and continued, “Come on, I’ll show you.”</p><hr/><p>
  <em>The Hanger- The Lombax Village.</em>
</p><p>“Here she is!” Angela waved her hand towards the medium-sized Cobalian cruiser near the front of the hangar. It was clear the ship had gone under some very extensive modifications- with turrets outfitted on both the starboard and port sides, an additional turret at the top, and thin layer of Trillium covering the outer hull. The ship looked like it could carry about six people total in the front. The back appeared to be big enough for people to move from one end of the ship to the other- though they would be very cramped in doing so. “I got her when we decided to give Captain Slag a little payback and raided one of his outposts just outside the Wastes. She may not be as fast as your other ship, but she’s a lot sturdier and can hold her own in a fight.”</p><p>“What about our other ship?” Ratchet asked. While he had only had the ship for a little while now, he couldn’t help but feel some degree of attachment to it. After all, it was the first ship he had ever been able to truly call his own. </p><p>“I can send a party out to get it for you and bring it here,” Angela answered. “It’ll be safe in our hangar.” After giving their permission- Ratchet, rather begrudgingly- to do so, Angela relayed the orders into her wrist comm.</p><p>“So are we going now?” Sachari asked when Angela was finished, meanwhile adjusting the slightly oversized goggles on her head. The goggles, of course, slid back down a couple of inches. “Curses.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sachari may or may not be my version of a certain Lombax from a certain trailer, lololol. 😹😹😹😹 In other words, she is.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Doce</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>The Swamps, Sargasso.</em>
</p><p>The ship set down gently on the massive metal dock jutting out of the swampy waters, and quickly powered down. “We’re here!” Angela announced as the cockpit window lifted open. Ratchet was the first to jump out, nearly twisting his ankle on the platform in the process. It was really stuffy in that ship, but it turned out to be even stuffier outside, what with the planet being one global swamp and all. It was also very humid, and by the time everyone else had gotten out of the ship, the Lombax was practically soaked in his own sweat.</p><p>As the last person- Sachari- clambered out of the space faring vessel, Ratchet caught the faint sound of footsteps echoing on the platform across from them, obscured by the low hanging trees. The Lombax tele-equipped his Omni-Wrenches and whipped around to see a strange looking feline of a species he didn’t recognise rounding the corner. The alien stopped when they saw Ratchet, and adjusted the small pack on their shoulder nervously.</p><p>“Uhh, hello,” the alien called out timidly. “I- ha- uh- I’ll just go find another dock-”</p><p>“Oh, hi there,” Elaris greeted them pleasantly, hoping this would make him a little less tense.</p><p>The alien seemed to relax a little at this sign of non-aggression, and stepped closer so he could get a better look at the group. He stood there for a moment, studying each member, and then locked eyes on Sachari. He seemed to take notice of the fact that she had a tail, unlike most female Lombaxes. His body seemed to relax a little more, and he held out his hand for her to shake. “Hello,” the alien repeated, this time more confidently. “I’m Em’al. And you are?”</p><p>“Sachari,” the Lombax in question answered, raising an eyebrow and taking his hand cautiously- all the while both herself and the others scrutinising this newcomer (although perhaps it would be more accurate to describe <em>them</em> as the newcomers) cautiously.</p><p>Instead of having fur like most humanoid feline species such as Lombaxes and Cazares, Em’al’s body was covered in small, blueish-green feathers- most of which were covered by the slightly ragged clothes he wore. The only visible places where he had no feathers were the insides of his twitching cat-like ears, the short graceful horns curling out from his upper forehead, and his nose- which was a small, triangular-shaped, raspberry-coloured thing that leaned out from a thin slope leading down from beneath his horns. His eyes were almost entirely orange, bits of white being visible only at the corners- and in the centre of his eyes rested black slits that were more likely than not his pupils. In addition to feathers, he also had some hair, midnight blue locks reaching just below his ears. His tail flicked back and forth, mostly covered in small feathers, with a plume of larger and more colourful ones at the tip.</p><p>All in all, none of these features put together matched any species that any of the group remembered reading about. Elaris was certain that if this species was native to the Solana galaxy- or even Polaris, or Bogon- that she would recognise it from the historical archives.</p><p>“Well, I’m glad you’re not beating this one over the head like you tried-”</p><p>Sachari quickly cut her sister off, severely annoyed with having been reminded of the incident. “You’re never going to let that go, are you?”</p><p>“When it gets old, then- and <em>only</em> then- I will, baby sister,” Angela explained, a smirk of amusement spread across her lips. “So far that hasn’t happened yet.”</p><p>“So, what brings the five of you to this… <em>slime pit </em>of a <em>heckhole?”</em> Em’al asked, his voice lowering with bitter disgust as he uttered those last few words.</p><p>“It is not that bad,” Clank said, looking up at the alien in puzzlement. Even he could not find the species anywhere in his database.</p><p>“Yes it is,” Em’al retorted, shaking his head. “But never mind that. Why are you all here- if you don’t mind my asking that is?”</p><p>“We’re looking for someone,” Elaris explained. “His name is Brax, and he’s an Aek'ex. He’s big and burly, and wearing the same uniform as me. Have you by any chance seen him?”</p><p>Em’al shook his head no. “No, I’m afraid I haven’t. If your friend has come here though, he picked a pretty bad time to do it.”</p><p>“What do you mean ‘he picked a pretty bad time?’” Ratchet demanded, crossing his arms.</p><p>“I mean, Captain Slag constructed an outpost just a few miles south of here, and ever since he’s been trying to raid us,” Em’al explained. “Which means if your friend is here, then he’s in for a rough time of it. Anyone who gets within a couple hundred metres of Slag’s outpost gets shot on sight by one of his sentry drones. Not to mention there are patrols even deeper in the swamp who have orders to shoot to kill <em>anything</em> that moves.”</p><p> “Slag’s tried to raid my home too,” Angela told him. “My people and I managed to hold him off though, and even get a little payback.” She gestured to her ship as she spoke.</p><p>“Do you have any ideas where Brax could be?” Elaris crossed her arms and waited for a response.</p><p>“There’s an abandoned Kerchu gelatonium factory to the east,” Em’al answered. “It’s possible he’s hiding there. It’s also probable that he’s been captured by Slag, though I find that very unlikely.” He paused, and then went on, “I don’t suppose… well, no, I don’t…”</p><p>“What seems to be the matter?” Clank asked.</p><p>“I don’t even know if you’re good fighters, and anyway, you’re not here for us- you’re here for that friend of yours,” Em’al rambled, tensing up again. “I- I’m sorry- I- I should just go-”</p><p>“This is about Slag, isn’t it?” Angela cut in, stepping towards the alien and putting her hand on his shoulder. She realised just now how small he was- he seemed to be around Ratchet’s height. She looked over at Ratchet and the others. “Maybe we could… split up? It’s not like all of us have to go into the gelatonium factory, and anyway, he and I still have a bit of a score to settle. Besides, these people need help, and it wouldn’t sit well with me to not lend a hand if I can.”</p><p>Elaris nodded and turned towards Ratchet, Clank, and Sachari. “Do you think the three of you can handle the factory on your own?”</p><p>“I want to stick with my sister and help,” Sachari answered. She then added after a moment, “If that’s alright with the rest of you.”</p><p>“Clank and I can handle it just fine,” Ratchet told her, giving her a gentle pat on the shoulder. “You go help out your sister and Elaris.”</p><p>Sachari seemed to brighten up at his words. “Thanks, Ratchet.”</p><p>“While I would have appreciated it if you had asked my thoughts on the matter <em>beforehand,”</em> Clank said to Ratchet, “I am inclined to agree. I am confident we will be fine.” The defect clambered up onto Ratchet’s back and settled onto the Lombax’s harness. The feline tele-equipped his hoverboots- which he may or may not have modified a little bit during the trip to Sargasso- and was about to blast off when he heard Em’al ask, “Wait- won’t you need a map??”</p><p>Ratchet looked over at him and gave a strangely confident smile. “Nahh, we’ll find it.” With that said, he turned away and took a couple of steps backward, and then lunged forward, kicking his heels back on the small pads on the insides of the hoverboots- igniting the thrusters and propelling him off the platform and onto a stretch of land about two hundred hundred feet or so away. The duo then vanished into the swampy jungle.</p><p>Elaris shook her head- ever since the whole ancient Zoni enclave with a mysterious supercomputer inside thing happened, Ratchet seemed to be behaving a little… odd. Maybe it was just Ratchet being Ratchet, but she couldn’t help but feel something was off with him now.</p><p>That, or maybe she was just having a little trouble digesting that YETI leg she had for breakfast that morning.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>Abandoned Gelatonium Factory</em>
</p><p>Ratchet deactivated his hoverboots just as they reached the entrance of the gelatonium factory. “Ratchet, are you certain it was wise to simply leave them with Em’al? I understand time is of the essence, but-”</p><p>“Clank, stop worrying so much,” Ratchet interrupted, though with less bite than usual. “Elaris is a Galactic Ranger and Angela and Sachari are warriors who trained for this sort of thing. I’ll admit, I’m a little worried too- but at the same time, I know they’ll be able to handle whatever’s being thrown at them.”</p><p>“I suppose you are right,” Clank amended somewhat begrudgingly.</p><p>“Well, if I was right about one thing,” Ratchet went on, “it’s that we could find the gelatonium factory on our own.” The Lombax gestured to the building, which had clearly  seen better days- half of the ceiling and wall of the entrance was collapsed, the front door was currently MIA, and thick vines swarmed as much of the outside of the structure as they could, covering nearly every inch of it.</p><p>As Ratchet stepped closer to the building, a strong musty odour wafted up to his nose. “Ugh!” He waved his hand in front of his face, trying to get the stench away from his nose. “This place smells even worse than the Drophyd mines,” he muttered, covering his face with a gloved hand and stepping inside. The air inside felt even thicker and warmer than it did outside, to the point of being almost suffocating. “Where’s an O2 mask when you need it?”</p><p>“Perhaps had you not wasted your share of bolts on that Enforcer when we stopped on the way here-”</p><p>“It was on sale!”</p><p>“- then you could have purchased an O2 mask.”</p><p>“But I <em>needed </em>it!” Ratchet’s voice had raised several decibels, but he didn’t seem angry. If anything, he was… enjoying this? Perhaps Clank needed to get his audio receptors checked.</p><p>“Let us hope that your purchase does prove to have been worthwhile,” Clank retorted, “and not a waste of bolts.”</p><p>Ratchet just rolled his eyes and settled his gaze on the dust-and-cobweb-ridden hallway before them. “It does look like something or someone was here recently,” he said, kneeling down to examine the floor. The dust had clearly been disturbed some time ago, if the patches of shiny metal riddling the blanket of wheeze-inducing particles were anything to go by. “Only one way to find out.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Honestly, my setup of this chapter isn't the best, and could probably use quite a bit more work if I'm to get it just right. So expect this to get rewritten eventually, as well as the previous chapter. If you guys have any advice/constructive criticism specifically on how I can improve this chapter as well as the one before it, feel free to comment below. </p><p>Please note that any and all flames will be deleted on sight.</p><p>Also, on the plus side, some very familiar characters from ToD will be appearing in the next chapter- and I'm not referring to the space pirates (I mean, they are coming, but I'm referring to other ToD characters rn).</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Trece</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Told you I wouldn't abandon this story, lolol. Constructive criticism is always appreciated- flames are not!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ratchet speed walked down the hall, wiping sweat off his forehead with his glove every now and then- though it was kind of useless, since his glove was also already soaked to begin with. The only sources of light the Lombax had on him at the moment were the flashlight in his hat, and the green glow of Clank’s eyes- not the latter’s light was of any use since he was hanging out on the feline’s back as usual. Ratchet reached the end of the hall and pried the door open- which took a moment or two considering how rusted the hinges were- with his wrench. On the other side, there was a platform surrounded by railing, overlooking a long shaft with no visible bottom- at least none that could be seen with a flashlight.</p><p>The Lombax turned his attention to the machinery on the wall to his right, and noticed that there was little to no dust on it. His gaze trailed along the wall and eventually reached a platform on the other side. If the ceiling had been higher, Ratchet could have used his hoverboots to leap to the other side. However, with the ceiling being as low as it was, it probably wasn’t the best idea- he’d more than likely whack his head against it in the process and possibly injure himself severely.</p><p>“Hey, Clank- got any idea what might be able to move this equipment around?” Ratchet turned around so that Clank would have a better view of the machinery. The defect scanned the inert pieces of metal and then silently considered their options for a moment.</p><p>“Hmm… I believe we have only one option. Since it is unlikely that we can bring the power for this factory back online, you would have to use that kinetic tether you stole-”</p><p>“I prefer the term ‘borrowed indefinitely,’” Ratchet interrupted.</p><p>Clank chose to ignore that and went on, “-to move the equipment into traversable makeshift platforms. I presume that is your intention?”</p><p>“Yeah, pretty much,” Ratchet said, tele-equipping the kinetic tether in one hand and one of his Omni-Wrenches in the other. He attached the tether to the side of the aforementioned tool and screwed it into place. “Okay… let’s see if this works.”</p><p>Ratchet lifted up his wrench and pointed it at the nearest machine. The wrench sparked a light blue, and a thin stream of magnetic light curled out from the tether’s emitter, reaching towards its target. The light wrapped around the machine, trapping it in what resembled a net. Ratchet took a step back, keeping a firm hold on his wrench as he did so. The kinetic tether tightened as he continued to step backwards, and the massive chunk of metal creaked as it was slowly pulled by the Lombax. Once it was in a favourable position, Ratchet disengaged the tether, and repeated the process for each of the machines, one by one. Soon enough they had a relatively traversable route to the other side, provided Ratchet didn’t slip or something.</p><p>“Here goes nothing,” the Lombax murmured to himself as he approached the first machine. He reached his hands up onto the edge of it and hoisted himself over the side and onto the top. He stayed there a moment, poised in a low crouch as he regained his bearings. Ratchet stood up and then, after taking a small step back- making sure he didn’t go back too far so as to fall off- charged forth, leaping off the edge and reaching his hands out to catch the next piece. He landed onto the machine front-first, grunting in pain as the wind was violently pushed out of his lungs.</p><p>It took a minute before Ratchet was able to stand, and then he repeated his previous actions for the next one. Something told the feline that by the time this was over, he was going to have a very nice collection of bruises, scrapes, and the like.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>Meanwhile, on the way to the Aez’ear Village- on the Outskirts.</em>
</p><p>Em’al gave a wave for the others to stop just as they all reached a small house quite literally dead smack in the middle of the swamp. “There’s some people I’d like you to meet before we head into the village,” he explained, walking to the front door. “I’ll just be a minute!”</p><p>He knocked on the door, earning a startled yelp and a slightly annoyed voice calling, “It’s open!” Em’al opened the door, and looked over at his companions, waving them over. Elaris hung back a little, her eyes automatically scanning for any sign of trouble. One could never be too careful. Hesitantly, she followed her companions into the house and squinted as her eyes adjusted to the change in lighting. It was a lot darker inside, being illuminated by only a few lamps and some candles here and there. She slowly took in the room around them, observing the colourful quilts hanging on the walls, the furniture (which was made of wood and decorated with some handmade cushions), and the wooden floor- which was covered by several colourful rugs. Some were old and fraying, but others were fairly new, having been knitted very recently.</p><p>“Oh- hello there, young whippersnappers,” a light voice greeted. Elaris whipped her head about to see a very old and rusty warbot (what model it was, she didn’t know- it seemed vaguely familiar however) hanging up an apron. Em’al walked over to the warbot and was instantly pulled into a hug. “You’re right on time!” the warbot exclaimed. “I thought I was going to have to go up to the docks and drag you back down here myself!”</p><p>Em’al chuckled and returned the hug before pulling away and turning towards the others, beaming with happiness. “Angela, Elaris, Sachari- meet my dad Zephyr,” he said, gesturing to “Zephyr”.  “Zephyr, meet Angela, Elaris, and Sachari.”</p><p>“Lombaxes!” Zephyr exclaimed upon taking a closer look at Angela and Sachari. “I haven’t seen one of you since the Great War! Then again, I haven’t really gotten around much since then… age catches up with you pretty quick, you know? Appreciate your youth while you can, whippersnappers!”</p><p>“Uhhh… it’s nice to meet you too?” Sachari replied uncertainly after a moment.</p><p>Zephyr gave a guffaw. “I like this one!”</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>Back at the Gelatonium Factory.</em>
</p><p>“AAAHH! KILL IT, KILL IT!!” Ratchet, clutching his Enforcer in both hands, scurried to safety on a somewhat tall stack of metal crates as a small group of Teratropes swarmed towards him, snapping their little pinchers intermittently. He lowered himself  into a crouch and turned around, taking aim at the nearest Teratrope and firing. The missile  violently burst into flames upon impact, effectively applying a not-so-light sear to the Teratrope. Ratchet wasted no time and rained a downpour of heat-seeking rockets onto the oversized arthropods. Soon enough, nothing remained of the Teratropes except for a couple of charred husks and piles of ash inside smoking craters.</p><p>“Ratchet,” Clank addressed in an exapsterated tone. “Was that truly necessary?”</p><p>“I <em>hate </em>bugs,” was all Ratchet snarled in reply as he clambered down from the crates.</p><p>“That much is quite obvious.” Ratchet rolled his eyes at Clank’s response and, after stepping around the smoldering remains on the ground, resumed his trek down the dilapidated hall. He kept his Enforcer equipped, not wanting to risk another unexpected attack from those <em>things.</em></p><p>Ratchet quickly reached the end of the corridor and was forced to switch to his Omni-Wrench so he could pry the door open. After a brief struggle, it slid open with a squeak- crumbling slightly in the process from rust.  On the other side lay a massive room with four large pumps in it, each one placed in each corner of the room. Unscrewed bolt cranks were also placed in front of each of the pumps. Wide slots littered the walls- their intended purpose Ratchet wasn’t all too sure about, but they seemed to be conveniently placed like a staircase…</p><p>“Hmmm…” Ratchet thought for a moment. Unlike the rest of the building, this particular area seemed to be in decent condition. It was definitely falling apart, yes. But it was in slightly better condition than everything else. “Clank, do you think we might be able to get any of this stuff working?”</p><p>Clank hopped off of Ratchet’s back and took a slow look around the room. “It may be possible. I believe these bolt cranks control the gelatonium pumps, which- if my database serves me correctly- powers this factory.”</p><p>Ratchet nodded, scratching his chin. “Okay- let’s see if we can get her up and running again.”</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>Back in the Outskirts.</em>
</p><p>“How long’s he been in there?” Elaris asked as she took her last bite of broth and gestured to the door across the room, from which muffled voices could be heard talking.</p><p>“He’s been in there for a while,” Angela added, a tinge of concern in her voice. “Is everything alright?” She turned her gaze towards Zephyr, who was drinking oil from a small mug clutched in his metal hands.</p><p>“Em’al… well… let’s just say… well… he made some choices that… the community doesn’t really approve of,” Zephyr explained. “And he was cast out. Ever since then, it’s just been him, Scrap, Cronk, and me. We haven’t had much contact with the village over the years, but Em’al’s friend frequently keeps him up-to-date on things going on there. She was the only person there who really understood and cared for him.”</p><p>“Scrap? Cronk?” Sachari asked blankly after slurping some more of her soup.</p><p>“Scrap is Em’al’s pet,” Zephyr replied, taking a sip of oil. “And Cronk is m-” The door swung open abruptly, and out stepped Em’al, a small robot with large, luminescent pink and blue eyes, perched on his shoulder. Zephyr looked over at them and went on, “That’s Scrap on his shoulder right now-” he cleared his throat and asked his son, “So how’d it go?”</p><p>Em’al settled onto an empty stool placed at the table they were all sitting at, an unreadable expression on his face. After a moment, he looked up at Elaris and said, “The mayor is willing to talk to you. He’s not exactly enthusiastic about outsiders- or <em>me</em> for that matter- coming to the village, but he’s desperate. We’re to meet him tomorrow afternoon, in the Central Complex.”</p><p>Elaris and her companions nodded quietly in response, none of them quite sure at what to say. Zephyr asked with a concerned note in his voice, “Are you alright, Em?”</p><p>“I’ll be fine, Dad,” Em’al replied rather bluntly. Scrap, who was still hanging out on his shoulder, nuzzled the side of his head. The Aez’ear brightened up and shifted in his seat so that his guests could have a better view of the robot. “This is Scrap!” he told them happily, a smile on his face now. His eyes also changed colour- just a moment before they were a reddish-orange, and now they seemed to have brightened to a light yellowish-orange. “She’s my pride and joy- and also a little trouble maker.” Scrap looked over at Em’al, her head tilted as if to say <em>“Me? A trouble maker? No, I’m innocent!”</em></p><p>Angela, who was sitting the closest, reached over to Scrap and scratched the top of her metal head. “It’s nice to meet you, Scrap!”</p><p>Scrap couldn't help but purr softly in response.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Aaaaaaaaand, goodnight- WHATEVER YOU ARE. (Look I'm obsessed, okay?)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Catorce</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ratchet quickly found that turning the bolt cranks was not going to be a very easy task- all of them had gears that were heavily oxidised, and bound to fall apart if put under too much strain. But there was no other way to get all this working again that he or Clank could see, so the Lombax decided to take his chances. He attached his Omni-Wrench to the nearest crank, the tool clicking into place easily. Slowly, but steadily, Ratchet began to push. With a painfully loud screech of rusty metal against rusty metal, the bolt crank started to turn. At first, the movement was rough and slightly bumpy, but as the crank continued to turn, it quickly smoothened out. After a minute or two of this, the crank clicked into place. The gelatonium pump it was next to started to hum to life.</p><p>A speaker somewhere in the room crackled, and a computerised feminine voice announced, <em>“Gelatonium Pump Number Two is now online. Plant is now at twenty five percent power efficiency.” </em>A few thin platforms slid out from their slits, including right underneath the exit that they needed to reach if they were to go deeper into the factory. Ratchet gave the platforms a brief survey- if he was careful, and had just the right amount of thrust, he could easily hoverboot up there.</p><p>Ratchet took a few steps back and bent his knees slightly. “Hang on tight, Clank.”</p><p>“Ratchet? What are you-” Clank was cut off as the Lombax’s hoverboots crackled to life and Ratchet leapt up to the first platform. Before the defect could get another word out, the feline was already leaping to the next one. In another two lunges, they reached the exit. Just beyond lay a dimly lit corridor, the lights flickering intermittently due to insufficient power supply.</p><p>“See? Nothin’ to it!” Ratchet stood up from the crouch he had landed in and started down the corridor.</p><p>“One day,” Clank spoke up, “you are going to get us both killed.”</p><p>Ratchet just rolled his eyes- not that it did any good seeing as Clank was on his back and couldn’t even see him. “Let’s just keep moving- the sooner we get outta here, the sooner we can get away from all those stupid <em>bugs</em>…”</p><hr/><p>
  <em>The next day- just outside the Aez’ear Village.</em>
</p><p>Em’al stopped and motioned for the others to do the same. Elaris watched him carefully as he approached the armoured guard at the front gate. The guard stiffened at the sight of the much smaller Aez’ear and lifted his Tesla Claw defensively. “Eftahlekel rutaerk- vhat machst ud reih?!” The guard had practically spat the words out, venom gushing from each one.</p><p>“I’ve come to see the mayor,” Em’al answered, his frame trembling imperceptibly.</p><p>“Ein kaerf eiw ud? Den lelier sehen?!” the guard guffawed in response.</p><p>“I’m not a frea-!” Em’al shook his head and set his face in an angry scowl. “Now you listen here<em>- I’m</em> here because the mayor wants to see <em>these </em>people,” he explained, gesturing to his companions. “Ask him <em>yourself</em> if you don’t believe me!”</p><p>The guard snorted, but he lifted his wrist and pressed a couple of buttons on the panel of the comm attached to it. After a moment, a deep and dreary voice crackling with static could be heard coming through the speakers. “Vhat ist se?”</p><p>“Dieser eplew, den sie als nichte bezeichnet haben, behauptet, sie wollten netllow ihre qah’pla sehen,” the guard answered, a smug expression on his face as he glared at Em’al, who glared right back at him.</p><p>There was a short moment of silence, which was finally broken when the voice ordered, “Tel meht ni.” And with that, the communication ended. The guard stared at his comm in shock for several silent seconds before looking up at Em’al with a snarl.</p><p>“You win this round,” the guard growled, stepping aside and barking an order at the person in the tower to open the gates.</p><p>Em’al smiled smugly and replied, “Yes, that I did.” He turned around and motioned for the others- who had both seen and heard the whole exchange transpire- to follow. While Elaris couldn’t understand the Aez’ear tongue, she could tell from the aggression in person’s voice as well as their body language that there was a large degree of tension there. The language itself sounded rather interesting in its structure- perhaps when they had more time, Elaris might be able to study it. As she followed Em’al and the rest of her companions through the gates, she was completely caught by surprise from what awaited inside. She wasn’t quite sure what she expected when they got to this point, but whatever her expectations were, they never even came close to this.</p><p>This section of the village was clearly the marketplace, if the large stands filled with various items and being sheltered with brightly-coloured cloths were anything to go by. The merchants shouted various things in their native tongue, most likely trying to draw attention to the items they were selling. A couple of passerbys gave Em’al dirty looks, but otherwise the group was more or less ignored.</p><p>Sachari was drawn to a particular stand, which had some sort of freshly smoked meat out on display. The merchant at the stand looked over at her and asked in a thick accent, “Ah, ahe vou intehested in puhchasing zhat  wood-smoked Khath Beast?”</p><p>It took Sachari a full ten seconds to translate what he said. “Huh? Well, how much is it?”</p><p>“It’ll cost vou ten amgahds,” the merchant answered.</p><p>“Ten what?”</p><p>“He said ten amgards,” Em’al replied from behind her. Sachari let out a startled yelp- she really shouldn’t have let him sneak up on her like that. It was a careless rookie mistake- to put it lightly. “Did I startle you?”</p><p>“Something like that,” Sachari mumbled in annoyance as well as embarrassment. “But I don’t <em>have</em> ten amgards.”</p><p>“And we also don’t have a lot of time either,” Elaris cut in. “We really should get moving.” As much as she would have enjoyed seeing more of the village and learn about their culture, they didn’t have much time to spare. She could only wonder how Ratchet and Clank were holding up at the Gelatonium factory.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>The previous day, at the Gelatonium factory.</em>
</p><p>As Ratchet started down the hallway, he could hear the faint sounds of voices… singing? <em>“… a PIRATE evermore!!”</em> More like <em>screeching</em>. A series of loud guffaws and shouts followed, and as the Lombax listened closely, he pinpointed the sources to be in just the next room. As he moved closer to the door (which was basically half gone due to centuries of oxidation), his nose caught a whiff of grog. He wrinkled his snout in disgust, and peered his head up over the lower half of the door. Down in the room below, a group of robotic space pirates sat sprawled on the many crates littering the area- chugging down large mugs of grog all the while.</p><p>One of the pirates- who was a little less scary-looking than the others (though not by much)- stood up, waving his mug around drunkenly and hiccupping. “Hic!- this place is perfect for singin’!” he declared. “Listen- hic!- to those acoustics! We should start a band- hic!”</p><p>“Hic!- what should we call ourselves?” one of the other pirates asked.</p><p>“Rusty Pete plus- hic!- plus three?” the previous pirate suggested, a dazed smile plastered on his face.</p><p>“That name makes ye sound like yer full a’ yerself,” another pirate answered. “Howzabout the… hic! The… uhhhhh… gimme a minute… hic!”</p><p>Ratchet could only raise an eyebrow incredulously. “You have gotta be kidding me,” he muttered, shaking his head. “As if those Teratropes weren’t bad enough.”</p><p>“What’re we talkin’ ‘bout- hic!- again?” Rusty Pete asked. He didn’t wait for a response as he went on, “Oop! I think I gotta take an oil l-”</p><p>“Ye don’t need to announce it <em>every</em> dang time!” one of the slightly more sober pirates retorted, a disgusted expression on his face. “Just <em>go!”</em></p><p>“Okie dokie!” With that, Rusty Pete stood up and proceeded to stumble out of a random hole in the wall. Ratchet tele-equipped his Omni-Wrench, smirking all the while.</p><p>“Ready for some action, Clank?”</p><p>“Do I have a choice?” Clank asked wearily.</p><p>Before the Lombax could respond, a new and equally grating voice bounced off the walls of the room. “You <em>idiots,”</em> the small Blarg soldier hissed as he stepped out of the shadows. “We’re <em>supposed</em> to be looking for that <em>Ranger</em>- and instead here you are drinking the day away with grog-” The red reptile started to reach for one of the nearby bottles as he spoke.</p><p>The nearest pirate snarled viciously, then yanked their sword out of its sheathe and held the blade at the Blarg’s throat. “Hic!- The- hic!- the one place ye don’t wannae be caught in is between a pirate and their grog.”</p><p>“The Blarg are here too?” Ratchet murmured to himself, lowering his wrench. Perhaps he should wait a minute or two, to see what was going on- the sight and sound of that same pirate sniffing the air halted his train of thought abruptly.</p><p>“Odd,” the pirate murmured, lowering their sword and turning around, facing the direction Ratchet was in. Luckily the Lombax was still hidden by the half-a-door, not that it mattered at this point as the pirate continued, “I- hic!- I think I smell <em>Lombax.”</em> They pulled a small blaster out of the holster looped on their belt. “Get- hic!- Rusty Pete, and tell him we’ll be feastin’ tonight!”</p><p>How a robot could possibly smell Ratchet was beyond the Lombax’s comprehension. The feline rolled his eyes, muttering, “Great. Just <em>great.”</em></p><p>“Perhaps you should use your Omni-Wrenches for the pirates and the Blarg,” Clank offered. “It would be best if we kept them alive, as they could provide us an explanation as to what they and the Blarg are doing here. Or you could also aim for their kneecaps with your Lancer, and disable them so that they cannot escape.”</p><p>“Good idea,” Ratchet replied, tele-equipping his other wrench in his free hand for the time being. “Here goes nothing.”</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Quince</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I think I'm finally back to being invested in this story! Sorry this chapter took longer than I thought... but uh you have Marvel to thank for this cause working on fanfics for the movies got me back into writing in general, and it also kinda inspired me to get back on track with this story... also I'm tired so what I'm saying probably makes no sense but whatever skdjfjfjfhfhh</p><p>Also sorry this is a bit shorter than usual, but I wanted to get this chapter finished today and also wanted to end it on kind of an emotional note, so.... yeah. Also, expect this chapter to go through a rewrite or two at some point in the future, cause I'm not 100% satisfied with how it turned out.... </p><p>Constructive criticism is appreciated, flames are NOT.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Elaris, Angela, and Sachari sat on the benches outside the mayor’s office, waiting while Em’al spoke to the mayor himself. Scrap- who had come along with the group- lay sprawled in Sachari’s lap, purring as the Lombax gently stroked the droid’s head anxiously.</p><p>After a moment or two of this, the office door swung open and Em’al peeked his head out. “He’ll see you now,” was all he said. They all quietly stood up, one by one, and followed Em’al into the mayor’s office- Sachari carefully cradling Scrap in her arms while still petting her head intermittently.</p><p>Elaris’ gaze trailed across the room as she observed the high stone ceiling, supported by matching stone beams and walls. Colourful banners hung from hooks attached to the walls, their bizarre patterns so bright that her eyes hurt just from looking at them- so she settled her sight on the mayor. He resembled Em’al to some degree, in terms of facial features- however, his feathers were a dull brown littered with dark spots and his frame was more wide and stocky. His eyes, instead of being orange like Em’al’s, were a bright turquoise.</p><p>The mayor gave a polite bow in greeting- in contrast, his facial expression was anything but polite. “So… you are the ‘help’ Em’al mentioned. The ones who are supposed to assist us in driving out the space pirates?” He scoffed. “Not as… <em>impressive</em> as I expected…”</p><p>“The feeling’s mutual,” Sachari snarked back, earning a smack on the back of her head from her sister. “Ouch!” She rubbed the spot Angela slapped, giving the latter an annoyed look.</p><p>Elaris didn’t pay them any mind. “I’m Elaris- this is Angela and Sachari,” she introduced, gesturing to each person as she spoke.</p><p>“Hmm,” the mayor hummed. “I am Ey’az. And of course you met <em>diese nosrep eid rehü mein nichte</em>-” Em’al whipped his head up as Ey’az said those words, a biting retort resting on the tip of his tongue.</p><p>But he stayed quiet.</p><p>“Now that we have the introductions out of the way,” Ey’az spoke again, “shall we get started?”</p><hr/><p>
  <em>One day ago…</em>
</p><p>Incapacitating the space pirates was no easy feat, but equipped with his Omni-Wrenches and with the help of Clank (having a robot riding around on your back had its perks- such as making it so enemies can’t sneak up on you), Ratchet managed to bring them down one by one. The weird feeling he always got during combat also seemed to help. And so, in a matter of ten minutes or so, both the space pirates and their Blargian buddy were tied up in a bunch by a vine the Lombax had ripped off the nearest wall.</p><p>“So, you guys feel like talking now, or do you wanna go another round?” Ratchet asked, leaning against the aforementioned wall and regarding the pirates and Blarg with an almost amused expression. Clank stood beside him, looking around the room and scanning for anything suspicious. His sensors found nothing out of the ordinary. Not that anything was<em> ordinary</em> nowadays.  </p><p>“Yer makin’ a big mistake, Lombax,” one of the pirates growled right before hiccuping.</p><p>“Okay-  for one, I’m not a Lombax- not a hundred percent, anyways,” Ratchet retorted. “Two, you guys are the ones who are tied up.”</p><p>“We’re also the ones who <em>don’t</em> have guns pointed at them from behind,” the Blarg added, smiling evilly.</p><p>“What-”</p><p>Both Ratchet and Clank turned around at that and saw a row of space pirates and Blargian soldiers standing behind them- nearly all of them equipped with stealth generator belts and Plasma Coils. The only one not equipped with a Plasma Coil was a clearly overweight (that’s putting it lightly) pirate with a hook on one arm in place of a hand, a peg leg, and complete with a pirate Captain’s hat. “I am Captain Romulus Slag,” he told the duo, “and ye’re trespassin’! I don’t like trespassers!”</p><p>Before either Lombax or defect could react, the pirates had fired their Plasma Coils- electrocuting the duo. And then all went black.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Present…</em>
</p><p>After discussing the situation in more full detail, as well as the space pirates’ capabilities, Elaris, Angela, and Sachari came up with a plan to hit the pirates where it really hurt so as to discourage them from bothering the Aez’ear people ever again.</p><p>The plan would start out simple.</p><p>Sachari and Scrap would take the modified Gyrocycle and make her way to the outpost through the ancient underground Kerchu sewer network, blasting away any not-friendlies she met along the way. Then Elaris, Angela, Em’al and the Aez’ears’ warriors would follow behind, heavily armed with weapons constructed by Elaris herself, and take the outpost by surprise. They’d thin out Slag’s army of pirates, destroy their armoury, and- hopefully- in turn give Slag himself a good enough scare to butt out.</p><p>The mayor, after reviewing the plan, approved it without hesitation. He'd apparently changed his tune when he realised that these people knew exactly what they were doing.</p><p>And so Sachari found herself standing alone in the Aez’ear armoury, sliding on her bracers for the first time. These bracers she’d designed herself, as well as the little nanobots within. The bracers weren’t exactly finished yet- the nanobots were meant to cover the whole body in a suit of armour, but she hadn’t constructed enough of these bots to do so. Not to mention there were several other kinks she had to work out. But they didn’t have time.</p><p>So she did a quick ninety-degree twist of her forearms, triggering the bracers’ armour protocols. The nanobots spread out across her body, covering her from neck to toe in a thin yet durable (hopefully) metal mesh. Sachari didn’t much like the idea of having her head exposed, so she nicked a helmet from the Aez’ear armoury, as well as a Versa-Mallet. The mayor had offered to let them use whatever weapons they wished from the armoury (Elaris wasn’t going to be able to build enough weapons for everyone overnight) and she intended on doing just that.</p><p>As Sachari made her way out of the armoury and down the hall to her quarters (she planned on catching some winks before the upcoming battle) she heard a quiet sobbing from the broom closet to her right. She moved towards the door of said broom closet and knocked gently. “Uhh, you alright in there?”</p><p>A voice on the other side yelped. Evidently she had startled them.</p><p>After a frantic shuffling, the door swooshed open, revealing a puffy-eyed Em’al. “Yes, I’m perfectly fine- why wouldn’t I be- I’m totally, <em>totally</em> A-okay-”</p><p>Sachari raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms skeptically. “Really? You sure don’t look it.” There was a pause. “Do you… do you wanna talk about it?”</p><p>Em’al shook his head no. “Not really… don’t worry about me, okay? I’ll be fine,” he told her, his voice quiet. His eyes couldn’t quite seem to meet hers. But Sachari could see that they held a sadness inside. A sadness that seemed aged, a sadness that had likely always been present, and only now has made itself known to its host. “We’ve got more important things to worry about right now.”</p><p>Sachari sighed softly and put a hand on Em’al’s cheek, tilting his head up to meet her gaze. Then she pulled him into a tight hug. “Just remember that you matter too. Okay? You <em>matter.”</em> Em’al stiffened at first when pulled into her embrace. And then, after a few seconds, he relaxed a little and even returned the gesture, wrapping his arms around her.</p><p>“I’ll try.”</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And yeah, Sachari's armour is based off of Tony's cause I love references and I miss my arrogant Iron boi.....</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Dieciséis</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The suffocating muggy feeling only seemed to increase as Sachari piloted her Gyrocycle into the sewer system. She steered it through the shadowed tunnels, the only sounds being the whirring of her vehicle, the hum of Scrap’s power node, and the occasional <em>drip-drip</em> of water falling from the ceiling. The flashlight installed on the front of the Gyrocycle lit up the tunnel, making it easier to see. The vehicle rolled steadily down the tunnel, and as Sachari reached the end which split into two more tunnels- one on either side of her- she spotted a small patrol of space pirates walking down one of those tunnels rather haphazardly, stumbling about in a zigzag fashion.</p><p>No doubt they had been drinking.</p><p>Sachari turned her Gyrocycle around to face them and pressed the “fire” buttons on either side of the cycle’s handlebars, mowing down the pirates to smithereens before they had the chance to fire or alert any other patrols in the sewer. She then steered the cycle down the tunnel, her mind drifting from the mission to Em’al’s predicament. While Sachari didn’t exactly have a clear idea of what happened between Em’al and his people, it was obvious that whatever did happen wasn’t good… she wasn’t really sure if she truly wanted to help the Aez’ears or not- not with the way they treated Em’al. But in spite of his strained relationship with his people, Em’al clearly still wanted to help them.</p><p>Still, Sachari decided that as soon as this mission was over, as soon as the space pirates were out of the picture, she was going to rip the mayor Ey’az a new one. A really <em>big</em> new one.</p><p>And that was putting it <em>lightly</em>.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Sometime later… in Ratchet and Clank’s cell…</em>
</p><p>Ratchet picked at the Suppressor Node that the space pirates attached to his neck. Since his Gadgetron Quick-Select chip was imbedded in his body and couldn’t be removed without “making a mess”- as Captain Slag put it- the pirates opted to just stick the Node on him and then throw him and Clank into a cell. A violet forcefield separated them from freedom.</p><p>“Clank, think there’s any way we can get this thing offa me?” the Lombax asked, wincing as the Node gave him a little shock. “Oww!!”</p><p>Before Clank could respond, a whoosh resounded from behind them. Both Lombax and robot whirled around at the same time to see a trio of strange, glowing, bug-eyed aliens levitating in front of them. The duo stared at the aliens, and the aliens stared right back.</p><p>This went on for about a minute, before one of the aliens floated towards Clank and asked uncertainly, “XJ-0461?”</p><p>Ratchet stepped in front of Clank, glaring at the visitor suspiciously. “Who are you?” the feline demanded.</p><p>The alien seemed to ignore the question. “XJ-0461,” they repeated, this time with more certainty. They turned around to face their companions. “Free.” The other aliens nodded in agreement, and the closest one turned back to face Ratchet and Clank. The alien then raised their hands- which were now glowing- and the others did the same immediately after. “Free,” the aliens repeated in unison, right before zapping Ratchet.</p><p>The Lombax yelped, closing his eyes and raising his hands defensively- but it was unnecessary. The Suppressor Node disintegrated instantly.  Ratchet stood there a moment, frozen in that position, until Clank told him, “Ratchet, I do not think that they mean any harm. It seems that they have destroyed the Suppressor Node.”</p><p>“Oh,” was all the feline said. He opened his eyes and lowered his arms, face burning a bit in embarrassment at his reaction.</p><p>The aliens then backed up a bit and waved their hands around, conjuring up a soft, glowing ball of light. It grew in volume to be slightly larger than a fist, and then dissipated, revealing a metal glove outfitted with some sort of grapple. Floating beside it was a projector of some kind with a hook-like thing attached to the side- it looked as if the device was meant to be worn on the ear.</p><p>Ratchet hesitantly reached forward and pulled on the glove, and let out a noise of surprise- it fit his hand perfectly. Then he took the projector thing and settled the hook part around his ear. He regarded the aliens for a moment and then asked, “Are you… are you the Zoni?”</p><p>The aliens were quiet for a few seconds and then merely replied, “Rift Tether,” as they gestured to the glove on his hand. “Escape.” In a flash of light and a <em>whoosh</em>, they were gone.</p><p>Ratchet sighed and helped Clank onto his back. “Well, I guess now’s the part where we break outta here, huh?”</p><p>“I suppose so,” Clank agreed quietly. The aliens, he thought, had to be the Zoni. They had to be. This only further solidified the fact that he and Ratchet were clearly connected to the Zoni somehow. For what reason or purpose, remained a mystery to the defect.</p><p>Ratchet lifted his hand up and from the projector a holographic visor flickered to life before his eyes. The visor displayed what seemed to be some sort of anomaly- perhaps a rift, as the name of the gadget implied- in the hall outside the cell. “Here goes nothing,” the feline murmured to himself before deploying the grapple. He felt his and Clank’s bodies phase out of reality for a moment as they passed through the thick metal wall and onto the other side. “Whoa, I feel woozy!” Ratchet had to stand with his feet wide apart for a couple of seconds as his vision seemed to spin.</p><p>“That tickled my central wiring harness,” Clank observed, letting out a little giggle.</p><p>Ratchet shook his head and tele-equipped his Omni-Wrenches, twirling them in his hands as he turned around to see a space pirate standing a ways away, drunkenly fumbling with his radio. Before the pirate could say a word to his buddies, the Lombax had already thrown a wrench into his face, knocking him out upon impact. The space pirate slumped to the floor in a heap and Ratchet quickly retrieved his wrench. He made a mental note to build a device or something to allow his wrench to return to him mid-air.</p><p>As he looked around the hall, his visor detected another rift that appeared to be outside the compound. Ratchet took a deep breath, lifting his hand again and then deploying the tether. The duo phased through a couple of rooms before finally reaching the rift and thereby exiting the compound- and entering a battlefield. At least thirty decommissioned space pirates lay strewn across the hillside, half-fried, gnarled pieces of metal and circuitry exposed for all to see. A ways away, on a nearby hillside, a familiar feline with an unfamiliar little robot hanging out on her shoulders could be seen fighting none other than Captain Slag himself.</p><p>Sachari boosted off the ground with the help of the thrusters installed in her armour’s boots and hurtled through the air towards Slag, swinging her Versa-Mallet down and striking him directly in the face. The mallet smashed one of his eyes, sending shards of glass flying through the air. Ratchet whipped his head around to his left and saw Em’al and a group of Aez’ear warriors fending off a swarm of pirates and Blarg who were thundering towards them- the feathered felines mowing down the grogged-up machines with relative ease. And to the Lombax’s right Elaris and Angela could be seen, fighting back to back- Elaris blasting away everything in sight with her Predator Launcher and Angela incinerating with her Omni-Wrench any pirate who came within a six foot radius of the duo.</p><p>“Ratchet, behind you!”</p><p>Ratchet turned around at Clank’s shout to see a group of space pirates and Blargian soldiers charging towards them. The Lombax switched to his Enforcer and was about to take a shot at the swiftly approaching enemies when a loud crackling and squelching could be heard above them. In that moment, everything seemed to freeze. The fighting stopped, and everyone turned towards the massive spire that stood proudly in the centre of the battlefield. Attached to it were about three giant screens, which were filled with noise before it cleared up and revealed the one and only Dr. Nefarious. The green alien glared down at them all, his nose wrinkled partially in disgust.</p><p>“Why hello, Slag,” Nefarious snarled at the space pirate in greeting. He then locked eyes on Ratchet and Clank. “Ahhh- you must be the troublemaker who helped that <em>defect</em> and ‘saved’ Novalis from invasion. Wasn’t really much of a rescue if you ask me- while you were off gallivanting across the galaxy doing Zoni knows what, Drek sent in an even <em>bigger</em> army. Novalis is now <em>ours.</em> Just like your precious <em>Veldin.”</em></p><p>“You- you-”</p><p>Nefarious cut Ratchet’s words short by turning his gaze back on Slag for a moment. “Oh, and one more thing…” The scientist then locked eyes on the Blargian soldiers. “Kill them all. Leave no survivours, or <em>you</em> won’t survive my wrath!”</p><p>“WHAT?!!!” Slag practically roared as the Blarg soldiers fearfully turned all their weapons on him and the other space pirates. “NEFARIOUS!!!! YE’RE NOTHING BUT A SLIMY, SLIPPERY, TRAITOROUS PIECE OF-”</p><p>“Ah ah ah,” Nefarious interrupted, raising a hand for silence. An evil smile spread across his lips. “Now now, none of that. I promised that we’d <em>pay</em> you, Slag. I never said we’d let you live long enough to <em>enjoy </em>it. It’s nothing personal, it’s just we don’t need you anymore.” There was a long moment of silence as everyone stared the Blarg down, each waiting for the other to make a move. Finally Nefarious lost patience and screeched, “WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, YOU MORONIC NUMB-SKULLS OF REPTILES?!?! KILL THEM, KILL THEM ALL!!!”</p><p>As the screens all went black, there was a short moment of calm before the storm. “Get ready, Clank,” Ratchet said softly to the robot. “This is gonna be one heck of a fight.” Clank hummed back in agreement.</p><p>And then the battlefield erupted into fire once more.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry if this chapter sucked.... I had a really hard time writing Nefarious in this scene, Idk why...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Diecisiete</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Many of the Blargian soldiers went down in just a matter of minutes, and the survivours eventually decided that they were much more likely to get away with their lives intact if they made a hasty retreat. And with this thought in mind, the remaining Blarg scrambled and scurried away from the battlefield and out of what little remained of the space pirates’ compound. Ratchet stood in the middle of all that destruction, partially bent over and panting heavily. He turned his head towards Sachari, who was still tightly clutching her Versa-Mallet and poised in a battle stance. Em’al and the other Aez’ear warriors swiftly approached Captain Slag and Rusty Pete, their weapons up and ready to fire. Elaris and Angela watched uncertainly from afar, and started to approach them.</p><p>The two pirates where the only ones left standing at the moment. At least on this planet. Slag’s eyes met Ratchet’s, and the pirate let out a low growl of contempt. “Ye just can’t stay out of people’s ways, can ye, Lombax? No, ye’all have to go from bein’ a mere <em>nuisance</em> to bein’ <em>in my way.</em> The lot of ye should’ve stayed on Grelbin where ye <em>belonged!</em> This won’t be the last ye’ll see of us! We will be yer <em>reckoning!” </em>He nudged Rusty Pete’s shoulder with his own. “Pete, the smoke bomb. Now!” Slag hissed as the Aez’ear warriors deactivated the safeties on their weapons as one.</p><p>“Aye aye, cap’n!”</p><p>Before anyone could do anything, Pete had already thrown down the smoke bomb, covering both himself and Slag in a giant cloud of smoke. When the cloud had finally dissipated after about ten to fifteen seconds, both pirates were nowhere to be seen.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Sometime later…</em>
</p><p>The mayor had thanked Ratchet, Clank, and their companions profusely for their help, presenting them with medals and the like. Sachari took the guy to the side afterwards and tore into him about his treatment of Em’al. And when he had the audacity to say he could treat the kid as he very well pleased, the Lombax just about snapped and she slapped him across the face. Not once. Not twice. But thrice.</p><p>“Ey’az,” Sachari growled, “you are the most <em>despicable</em> person I have <em>ever</em> met. I used to think my father was horrible, but I see now that he was nothing in comparison to the monster <em>you</em> are.”</p><p>“I think it’s time you left,” Ey’az snarled at her her in anger. But his petty, puny frustration couldn’t even come close to the raging hot fury boiling in Sachari’s chest. After the fight, while Sachari and Em’al had been hanging out in the armoury, working on repairing the damage done to her armour, he finally told her what had happened to cause his exile.</p><p>And after getting her to swear to secrecy on the matter, he also had told her, “I’m actually kinda glad they kicked me out. Because if they didn’t, I wouldn’t have met Cronk and Zephyr. I wouldn’t have gotten Scrap. They’re my <em>real</em> family.”</p><p>“Yeah, I guess we should,” Sachari replied, smirking and crossing her arms as she glared at Ey’az with daggers in her eyes. “Have a wonderfully <em>awful</em> week, Mister Butthead. It was nice knowin’ ya. <em>NOT.”</em> And with that, she and her fellow companions left the Aez’ear village. On the way back to their ship, Em’al offered to let them stay at his family’s place for the night- after all, the sun was beginning to set, and the Aez’ear explained that it really wouldn’t be safe for them all to be wandering around the swamp when darkness finally fell.</p><p>So they stayed the night. Zephyr, of course, cooked them all dinner and smothered them all with questions like, “What’s a ‘Drek?’” “How did you manage to build such tiny robots?” and “Which one of you whippersnappers ate my stash of Sargassian pine nuts when I wasn’t looking?”</p><p>After dinner, everyone went to bed- there wasn’t enough furniture for everyone to sleep on though, so some of them had to sleep on the quilts Zephyr laid out on the living room floor for them. Ratchet was peacefully curled up in a ball on one of these quilts- arms crossed and tucked next to his legs, and chin resting on said arms. Clank sat a few feet away on his own quilt, unable to power down. He knew he should rest, but he couldn’t. His decryption program was just moments away from finally unlocking the holographic message he and Ratchet received at the start of their adventure.</p><p>The program had been a fickle thing from the start- every time Clank came close to finally decrypting it in its entirety, the code would adapt. It would adapt and lock him out, and so he’d have to start over. Again and again and again. And, just as Clank started to put in the last line of code, the one that would finally unlock the secrets that lay within, the program decided to lock him out yet again.</p><p>The defect groaned in frustration.</p><p>However, his irritation at the predicament was quickly forgotten when a soft whimper emanated a ways away. Clank looked up and saw that, although Ratchet was still obviously asleep, the feline had a tense expression on his face. His closed eyelids were slightly scrunched, his teeth gritted, and his normally floppy, fluffy ears stiff. His tail flopped back and forth, as if to emphasise his current subconscious anxiety.</p><p>“Ratchet,” Clank addressed quietly, so as to not wake anyone else. He stood up and walked over to the Lombax, who was now twitching anxiously in his sleep. “Are you alright?” The defect nudged Ratchet’s head with a cautious little hand.</p><p>Ratchet jerked awake with a yelp, scrambling back a bit. In a few seconds he remembered where he was and why, and so his stiff form relaxed a bit. The feline locked eyes on Clank, who was now looking back at him with worry. “Clank? What’re you still doing up??”</p><p>“I was attempting yet again to decrypt that message we had received with the map,” Clank explained, sitting down beside Ratchet.</p><p>“I wonder what happened to Brax,” Ratchet murmured, settling himself into a sitting position. He tucked his legs underneath his arms again and settled his chin on the aforementioned limbs. “Do you think the space pirates might’ve killed him…?”</p><p>“I do not know,” Clank replied solemnly. “Ratchet… I am beginning to think we have been looking at this wrong.”</p><p>“What’d ya mean?” The Lombax regarded him with a curious look.</p><p>“In our journey to search for the Rangers, we have already obtained several new allies,” Clank told him. “Elaris, Angela, Sachari, and quite possibly even Em’al, assuming he does not change his mind about joining us in the morning. Perhaps even Scrap.” The defect looked up at Ratchet, his bright green luminous gaze steady as ever. “Ratchet, we do not need the Galactic Rangers. We already have a team. And besides… the more time we spend trying to search for the Rangers, the closer Drek becomes to reaching his goal, whatever that may be. He must be stopped while we still have time. Once that is done… we will resume our search for the Rangers.”</p><p>Ratchet thought this over for a moment and then nodded slowly in agreement. “You’re right, Clank.”</p><p>“You… agree with me?” Clank asked, now looking surprised.</p><p>“Clank, the clock’s ticking,” Ratchet said. “And it’s like you said, we’ve already got a perfectly good team right here. We don’t need the Rangers. Not right now, anyway.”</p><p>“I am pleasantly surprised, Ratchet,” Clank told the Lombax, now smiling.</p><p>“Now don’t you start gettin’ all mushy on me,” Ratchet replied, laughing softly. “Anyways, I guess I better go back to sleep… or try to.”</p><p>Clank nodded, giving the feline a pat on the arm. “Yes, that you should. I will be nearby if you need me, Ratchet,” the defect promised. “I am not going anywhere.”</p><p>“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you thought we were friends,” Ratchet commented, looking somewhat surprised- albeit pleasantly.</p><p>“Are we not friends?”</p><p>The Lombax considered his response for a short moment, and finally said as he smiled down at Clank, “Yeah... we're friends.”</p><p>Clank’s own smile widened at this revelation. “I am quite pleased to hear that.”</p><p>The aforementioned feline curled up into his usual sleeping position and closed his eyes, still smiling. “’Night, Clank.”</p><p>“Goodnight, Ratchet.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry this chapter is so short... next planet on the list is gonna be Quartu (after all, it was their plan to go there after getting the Rangers together)- but they'll eventually get to Reepor, I swear! I have a plan as to how to get them there... </p><p>Anyways, constructive criticism is appreciated, FLAMES are NOT.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Dieciocho</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>The next morning...</em>
</p><p>“So here's the plan,” Zephyr started, gesturing to the giant sheet of paper laid out before him and the rest of the group. “Ooh hoo hoo, this is so exciting!! This is the first time in centuries I've drawn up a plan! I wish Cronk were here right now! 'You're not tactically minded' my rear end!” He cleared his throat and decided to get back to business before he got sidetracked by his own enthusiasm. “Ahh, anyway, so- here's the plan Klunk-“</p><p>“My name is <em>Clank,”</em> Clank interrupted, the look on his face one of indignance.</p><p>“Er, right- sorry,” Zephyr replied, an apologetic expression on his face. "Here's the plan Clank and I drew up together: so, Elaris, Em'al, and Scrap will go into the factory first and make their path to the Primary Security room, blowing up any warbots they might encounter on the way. Once they've secured Primary Security, they'll shut down the Secondary and, uhhh, Third-ary Security systems for the south end of the factory.” He gestured animatedly to the crude drawings on the paper in front of him as he spoke. “Then Ratchet, Clank, Angela, and Sachari will go in and split up into two groups. Angela and Sachari will provide a distraction so most- if not all- the warbots will be out of Ratchet and Clank's way. So you two-” Zephyr pointed at Ratchet and Clank as he went on, “- will make your way to Chairman Drek's office at the other end of the factory. Hopefully there you'll find something about what Drek is planning…”</p><p>Zephyr trailed off for a moment and then let out a shout as he remembered something. “I’ll be right back!” he said, standing up and making his way to the back of the house. Elaris looked at Em’al questioningly- he merely shrugged in response. He had no idea what Zephyr was going back there for either. In a couple of minutes, the warbot returned with a dusty old blaster rifle of some kind clutched in his rusty hands. Zephyr brushed the dust off as best he could and held it out to Em’al.</p><p>The young Aez’ear stared at the weapon blankly for a moment, not moving. “Is this… for me??”</p><p>“Indeed it is, you li’l whippersnapper you,” Zephyr told him, a deep fondness in his voice. “I fought with this rifle back in the Great War! Back when Cronk and I were just a couple a’ bots lookin’ to make a living…” He trailed off again, and the fondness faded from his voice. He shook his head after a moment of silence and held out the rifle closer to Em’al. “And now, I want you to have it. The ion coils might be a bit rusty, but that’s nuthin’ some decent oil won’t cure.”</p><p>Finally, Em’al took the rifle into his hands, marveling at the cool metal underneath his fingers. He blew off the rest of the dust and then smiled up at Zephyr.</p><p>“Thanks Dad.”</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Meanwhile…</em>
</p><p>Lawrence walked into Nefarious’ “office”,  feather duster in hand. He fully expected to find his boss engrossed in his work- instead, he found the evil scientist messing around with a device attached to his belt. And as for his boss- well, his body had clearly seen better days. No doubt the device on his belt was some sort of hologuise- and it was malfunctioning. A good chunk of what was really underneath Nefarious’ disguise was fully exposed- several panels of plating that were meant to cover his chest were missing, revealing bits of mangled and half-melted circuitry underneath. Deep cracks spread out into black branches all along his metallic carapace. And the part of the holographic organic disguise were flickering intermittently.</p><p>Lawrence dropped his duster in horror at the sight. “Sir, what- what have you done to yourself?!”</p><p>Nefarious stopped messing around with the malfunctioning hologuise and regarded his butler with an amused expression before bursting out into bout of maniacal laughter. “Oh, Lawrence, Lawrence… I didn’t do this to myself. <em>He</em> did.” The mad scientist waved his hand over at the picture of Ratchet he had displayed on the computer monitor across the room from them. On it were also the faces of Clank and Qwark. <em>“They all did this to me,”</em> the doctor hissed, finally just ripping the hologuise off and crushing it in his robotic hand. “But every time, I <em>eventually</em> extracted my vengeance. Whether it took days, months, or even years… I found my revenge. In every reality I touched, every <em>universe </em>I took…”</p><p>“What did you do to…”</p><p>“To who?” Nefarious glared at Lawrence, one mechanical eye burning bright red with an insatiable hunger for revenge and the other one cracked, and dull. “To <em>your</em> Nefarious? That’s none of your business, Lawrence. And now, I offer you a choice: serve me, live, and continue getting paid. If you refuse, well then…” The robot lifted up his hand and observed his clawed metal fingers. “… I’ll have you know these aren’t<em> just</em> for <em>show.”</em></p><p>“Oh goodie,” Lawrence drawled dryly. “Another boss who can beat a moron at his own game.” He didn’t like the idea of serving another, potentially more insane version of his boss from only Zoni knows where, but if one is to survive in this galaxy, they have to make choices they don’t like. And in any case, who knew how long the scientist had even been impersonating his boss?</p><p>“So that’s a yes, then?” Nefarious pressed, the insult completely flying over his head.</p><p>“Indeed sir.”</p><p>“Good!” Nefarious grinned maniacally at this. “First order of business- fetch me the Sheepinator the… lesser me developed. I think it’s still in the armoury. I have something to care of and I’ll need it. In the meantime…” The robot stalked his way over to the work table and picked up the glowing capsule that sat on it, along with a strange looking gun-like object. Something told Lawrence it was something else- possibly something far worse. Nefarious, glaring at the capsule in his hands, finished by growling, “I’m going to dispose of this <em>nuisance.”</em></p><hr/><p>
  <em>Later- Planet Quartu… outside the warbot factory…</em>
</p><p>Ratchet (who was now clad in a new suit called Adamantine Armour, which he had purchased during a brief stop on Rilgar), Clank, Angela, and Sachari crouched low behind the large boulders a ways outside the warbot factory, waiting patiently for Elaris to let them know when it was time for them to initiate their part of the plan.</p><p>Ratchet’s com-link beeped twice, and so he answered. “How’s it going in there, Elaris?”</p><p><em>“We encountered heavy resistance, but we made it. We’ve shut down all the security systems we needed to, so it’s time for you guys to move,”</em> Elaris explained.</p><p>“Okay- we’ll be in in a sec,” Ratchet replied, smirking. “Ratchet out.” He looked over at Sachari and Angela. “Let’s go.” The team of four made their way towards the entrance, keeping a close eye out for any enemy warbots. None were in sight, thankfully. And so they entered the factory and split up as planned.</p><p>“You know what the best part of this is gonna be?” Sachari had asked Ratchet before she and Angela left the duo. She didn’t even wait for the Lombax to respond, as she continued without hesitation, “It’s the target practice.”</p><p>Ratchet had to refrain from rolling his eyes.</p><p>But if anything was for certain, the plan was definitely going smoothly. For the most part, the south end of the factory was clear of any warbots- and any that still happened to be there swiftly met their end at the missiles of Ratchet’s Enforcer. It wasn’t until they entered the factory’s production chamber that they encountered a serious problem. And that serious problem came in the form of none other than Victor Von Ion himself.</p><p>Ratchet and Clank had both sensed the machine’s presence in the room long before Victor decided to show himself via crashing mechanical feet first onto the central platform. The Lombax, who had just stepped off the bridge and onto the same platform- across from the giant robot, of course- already had switched to his brand new Devastator (which he had purchased along with his new armour), as his Enforcer was fresh out of ammo.</p><p>“Ahh, so you brought the defect,” Victor snarled, an evil grin spread across his metallic face. “Excellent- the boss is going to be very pleased when he hears I’ve taken care of you two nusiances. I might even get a promotion!” The machine tele-equipped his usual choice in weaponry- the Negotiator. “If you surrender now, I’ll make your deaths <em>somewhat </em>painless…”</p><p>“And if <em>you</em> surrender now,” Ratchet snarked back at him, smirking, “then we might let you live.”</p><p>“Pfft, what’re you gonna do, Lombax?” Victor taunted, childishly sticking out a metal tongue at the feline. <em>“Claw</em> me into submission?”</p><p>Ratchet just gave a good long yawn and pointed his Devastator at Victor, pulling the trigger. A barrage of missiles hit their target, sending the villainous robot flying across the room. Victor smashed into a wall a ways away. “Nope!” the Lombax finally replied. He started walking towards the centre of the platform, and went on, “Ya know, you’re a lot wimpier than I thought you’d be! Taken out by a couple of little tiny missiles.”</p><p>“Ratchet,” Clank addressed, his voice laced with disapproval. “Are you <em>trying</em> to provoke him on purpose??”</p><p>“Maybe,” Ratchet admitted.</p><p>“This is not going to end well…”</p><p>Victor’s foot thrusters kicked in, and he managed to push himself out of the massive dent his body had left in the wall. He settled his fury-filled gaze on the feline still standing on the central platform. As the now-very-much-angry machine pointed his Negotiator at the duo and fired, Ratchet ran as fast as he could towards the edge and tele-equipped his hoverboots. Just as the missiles hit the platform, the Lombax propelled himself off and- with the help of his boots’ rockets- leapt onto one of the rooms’ many observation decks. The central platform crumbled to pieces, huge chunks of it crushing several of the conveyor belts underneath, metal screeching against metal.</p><p>“Now look what you’ve done!!” Victor snarled, outraged. “Dr. Nefarious will have my head for this! Do you even know how much that <em>cost?!”</em> He took aim at Ratchet and fired again, but the feline was too quick- this time he used his Rift Tether to phase over to another deck, and in turn, safety. In his frustration, Victor practically screamed, “WHY WON’T YOU JUST STAY <em>STILL?!?!”    </em></p><p>“Ehh, maybe you were right, Clank,” Ratchet said. “Provoking him probably <em>wasn’t</em> the best idea…”</p><p>“Ahem- <em>‘probably?’”</em> Clank repeated, incredulous. “I think it is safe to say that ‘probably’ is an understatement.” As the defect spoke these words, Ratchet was forced to hoverboot off the deck to one of the few still-intact conveyor belts down below. The deck he was on just a few seconds ago was now engulfed in a massive blue blaze of fire and thick plumes of black smoke.</p><p>Victor dropped down onto another conveyor belt parallel to Ratchet’s and started shooting at the Lombax. The feline hoverbooted as fast as he could down the strip, the barrage of missiles decimating the belt behind him, leaving nothing left of the belt.</p><p>Ratchet switched from his Devastator to his Bomb Glove and leapt off the conveyor belt as what little remained of it crumbled- and, with the help of his Rift Tether, phased right onto the belt Victor was on. Before Victor could escape via his thrusters, the Lombax had already lobbed a bomb at the machine’s feet. He didn’t even have time to react. The bomb exploded, destroying Victor’s foot rockets, his Negotiator, and the strip underneath him.</p><p>“Have a nice trip,” Ratchet mocked, giving Victor a wave before leaping off the belt as it quickly collapsed- taking the vicious warbot with it. He propelled himself onto the platform that lead straight into Drek’s office, ignoring Victor’s quickly fading screams of vengeance as he fell to his doom. “Now that he’s out of the way…”</p><p>Clank hopped off Ratchet’s back and followed his friend into Drek’s office. The desk- which was in the centre of the room- was sparse of anything personal, save for a photograph of a young Blargian child and Alonzo Drek himself, and a couple of other items. While Ratchet took the photograph in his hands, Clank clambered onto Drek’s desk chair and began to hack the computer that was installed in the piece of furniture.</p><p>“Huh… Drek’s got a kid?” Ratchet murmured, looking down at the photo. Drek and the child appeared to be having a good time- they were dressed in matching T-shirts and poised standing in front of a giant Captain Qwark statue.</p><p>“Hmm- I have found a file pertaining to something called ‘the Deplanetiser,’” Clank told the Lombax, having been too absorbed in his hacking to hear him. He looked over at the feline, who was prying open the photograph’s case. “However, it is locked by a passcode- it may take me some time to… what are you doing?”</p><p>“I wanna see if there’s anything important in here,” Ratchet explained, finally getting the thing open. The photo fluttered out of the case and settled silently on the floor. He bent down and picked up the fragile piece of paper, setting down the case as he did so. The feline turned it over in his hands and read the name and date written on the back of the photo. “‘Aphra, Tenemurary second, 5350…’” As he read off the date, Ratchet felt a chill sweeping over his body. Somehow he knew it wasn’t a birth date. It was the child’s death date. He quickly shook the feeling off and turned to Clank. “Try that.” He wasn’t sure exactly what possessed Drek to write a potential passcode on the back of a photograph. Perhaps it wasn’t a passcode at all. But it wouldn’t hurt to try. Hopefully- if they got it wrong, who knows what the computer’s security system might set off?</p><p>Clank typed in the code and pressed Enter. The file opened and expanded to fill the entire screen. “Oh dear…” the defect murmured.</p><p>Ratchet walked over to him and looked over his shoulder to see what was on the screen. The Lombax’s jaw dropped slightly. “Drek had Nefarious construct the Deplanetiser to destroy planets… so he could <em>build</em> one for the Blarg??” As his gaze trailed down the list of destroyed planets, his heart sunk at one name in particular. Novalis. “There’s plenty of uninhabited planets to choose from! Why is- why-?!” Ratchet shook his head. “It doesn’t make sense, there’s gotta be more to this.”</p><p>Clank nodded in agreement. “I am inclined to agree- this is not logical…” the robot trailed off as his gaze slowly landed on the list of Drek’s next targets. The planet at the very top of the list caught his attention. “Ratchet… if I am reading this list correctly…” He turned his head to look at the Lombax as he spoke.</p><p>“Their next target… is <em>Veldin.”</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hmmm, I kinda have mixed feelings about this chapter... particularly the one action scene... Idk, I'm most likely gonna rewrite this chap once this story is finished.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Diecinueve</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Meanwhile… in the north side of the factory…</em>
</p><p>Sachari hissed at the last incoming warbot and brought her Versa-Mallet down, sending an electrical shockwave that electrocuted the enemy machine, disabling it permanently. The warbot collapsed in a heap on top of one of its fallen allies. The Lombax stood there, slightly hunched over, for a long moment, panting heavily from exertion. Angela plopped down on a nearby bolt crate, also clearly exhausted.</p><p>“Think… that might be… the last of them?” Sachari asked, finally straightening up and steadying her erratic breathing. It was in that moment that their wrist-comms crackled to life.</p><p>
  <em>“Elaris to Angela and Sachari- Ratchet and Clank found out Drek’s been planning, and they say they have additional information that might help us stop him. Meet us back at our ship, we’ll talk more there.”</em>
</p><p>“Understood,” Angela said into her comm. “We’ll be there soon. Angela Cross out.”</p><p>Soon enough, a few straggler warbots- which were easily taken out- later, the whole team was back at the ship. “So what did you guys find?” Em’al asked, pulling his rifle’s strap up over one shoulder, and giving Scrap- who was occupying his opposite shoulder- some petting. The little bot leaned into the touch and purred happily, her eyes closing ever so slightly.</p><p>“Drek had Dr. Nefarious construct for him a device known as ‘the Deplanetiser,’” Clank explained, stepping forward a bit. “As the name implies, the weapons purpose is to destroy planets… so Drek can use pieces of that planet to <em>build</em> a new one.”</p><p>“One of the planets he destroyed was Novalis,” Ratchet continued, his gaze flicking away from Elaris for a moment. “Most of the other ones in the list I didn’t recognise, but some were uninhabited… and some weren’t. His next target is Veldin. An <em>inhabited</em> planet… and my <em>home</em>.”</p><p>“At the moment, the Deplanetiser is stationed at a place called ‘The Blarg Tactical Research Station’ in the Breegus Sector for maintenance,” Clank added. “I have the coordinates downloaded on my hard drive. If we can make it there in time, we may be able to destroy the weapon before it leaves the station.”</p><p>“Then let’s go pay them a visit,” Elaris said. She started to turn around to walk to the ship, and then turned her head to look back at her allies- no, her <em>friends</em>. She smiled softly as she told them, “You all did great today- now it’s time for us to show Drek and Nefarious exactly what we’re made of.”</p><p>Ratchet gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up. “Heck yeah!!”</p><p>Sachari lifted up her Versa-Mallet happily and declared, “I’m itching to put this baby to use again- I think I’m a little addicted to it…”</p><p>Em’al just shook his head, unable to keep an amused smile off his face. “Alright- let’s go before we all get caught up in the moment. We got a couple of bad guys whose butts need kicking.”</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Later- at the edge of the Breegus Sector… outside the Blarg Tactical Research Station…</em>
</p><p>“Please hurry it up, you guys! I don’t know how much longer I can hold them off!” Angela shouted at the others from the ship’s turret. In the rather cramped airlock section of the ship, Sachari was busy trying to hook up her spare nanosuit to the power node she had magnetised to Ratchet’s armour. Her own nanosuit was already activated, and an O2 mask was pulled down over her face. She knew Ratchet’s Adamantine Armour wasn’t going to protect him from the elements of space, so she opted to use her spare nanosuit (which was a little less complete than hers). He was also wearing an O2 mask, and was complaining vehemently about how stuffy it was.</p><p>Clank- who was hanging out on the Lombax’s back as usual- finally got him to shut up by asking, “Ratchet, which would you prefer- dying from asphyxiation in space, or enduring the helmet for just a few minutes longer?”</p><p>It was pretty obvious which one Ratchet preferred.</p><p>“Okay, I’m all done,” Sachari announced into her wrist-comm, her voice slightly distorted from the O2 mask. “We’re moving out now.” As she moved towards the outer airlock door to open it, she looked over at Ratchet, whose body was now mostly covered by nanobots, and said, “This plan of yours better work.”</p><p>“It’ll work,” Ratchet reassured her. “Trust me.”</p><p>“Actually, this plan has only a 22.5555694% chance of succeeding,” Clank corrected, shaking his head slowly. “We are most likely doomed.”</p><p>“Clank, c’mon,” Ratchet groaned, facepalming. “Work with me here!”</p><p>“On the bright side,” Clank went on with an amused tone, “it has a much higher chance of succeeding than the other plans we discussed.”</p><p>“That’s better.”</p><p>Sachari rolled her eyes and opened the airlock door. “Here we go...” Both Lombaxes stepped out of the airlock and into the abyss of space. Ratchet activated his hoverboots and set a course for the Blarg Station- Sachari quickly followed suit with her armour's rocket-boots. </p><p>“Woohoo!! Yeah!” Ratchet whooped enthusiastically as the trio sped closer and closer to the Station. If he thought his hoverboots were fast on the ground, he was mistaken- the velocity he was rocketing at in space at this very moment was ten times higher. Sachari's thrusters propelled her at about the same speed, so she was side by side with the Lombax and his robotic companion. </p><p>“You ready, Ratchet?” Sachari asked, trying- and failing- not to smile at the feline's excitement.</p><p>“I was born ready,” Ratchet told her, smirking, before turning his attention to the Station ahead. He saw the hangar on the side opening to let out more enemy ships- most likely as reinforcements to try and fight off Angela's ship. Little did the Blarg know that they fell right into the trap. Angela's ship, which was currently busy blowing up Blarg fighters left and right as it weaved in and out between the blaster fire, was just a distraction. </p><p>Ratchet just hoped Elaris and the others would be okay.</p><p>The two Lombaxes slipped in through the hangar doors just as they started to close, and landed on the floor feet first. </p><p>“Intruders!!” a Blargian technician shrieked upon spotting them. </p><p>Ratchet only smirked as he unequipped his O2 mask, Omni-Wrenches in hand. Sachari followed suit, twirling her Versa-Mallet as she did so.</p><p>Time to cause some carnage.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We're nearing the endgame now, folks!! I'm really looking forward to the next couple of chapters! Sorry this chap is so short... also I kinda have mixed feelings about how I ended it, so I'll try to fix it later.</p><p>In addition, I also did some revision on chapters 16-18, mostly minor- but you might wanna reread 18, cause there is stuff I added that isn't too important to the story, but it might be worth a reread just in case. </p><p>Anyways, see ya all next chapter! Constructive criticism is appreciated, FLAMES are NOT.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Veinte</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Since the last chapter was pretty short, I decided to make up for it by making this chapter much longer- the next couple chapters are probably gonna be longer than normal too XD </p><p>Anyways, constructive criticism is always appreciated!  Flames are NOT.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The hangar instantly erupted into chaos, blaster fire flying rampant as Ratchet dodged a Blarg soldier’s attempts to shoot him. The Lombax did a backflip, narrowly managing to avoid getting roasted by the barrage of fire the Blarg’s Heavy Lancer unleashed. Just as the frustrated reptile was about to take aim and try to shoot him again, Ratchet lifted up his hand and grappled onto a rift not too far behind the soldier. The feline phased right through the Blarg’s next hailstorm of fiery rounds, and right through the reptile himself to the other side.</p><p>The Blarg stood there for a moment, blankly staring at the spot Ratchet had been in just a few seconds before. “Did I get him?...” the reptile started jumping up and down excitedly. “I think I got him- OWW!!” The Lombax, rolling his eyes at the display, whacked the soldier on the back of his head. The Blarg fell to his knees, starting to lose consciousness. “Jerry… you, uhhhhh, you get thhhheee uhhh number of that truck…” He slumped the rest of the way down, unconscious. By this point Ratchet was already ignoring him and was now trying to fight off a genetically-modified Blargian Snapper that, at the moment, was trying to bite his tail off.</p><p>“Strange,” Clank said to himself. “According to my database, normally the scientists on this station are supposed to keep these creatures in cages.”</p><p>“Any idea on why they’re <em>not??”</em> Ratchet swung his wrench and struck the critter square in the face, knocking a couple of good-sized teeth out of its oversized lower jaw. The snapper let out an indignant screech and reared its front up in the air, preparing to charge. A missile landed square in its chest, and the Snapper fell backwards, this time screeching in pain and twitching grotesquely. After a few seconds, it stopped moving.</p><p>Ratchet looked over to see Sachari with a Megarocket Cannon resting in her hands. She switched back to her Versa-Mallet and snarked with some amusement, “You’re welcome.” The golden-furred Lombax observed all the knocked out Blarg soldiers and no-longer-breathing Snappers she had taken out and just shook his head. He then made his way to the other end of the room and started messing around with the control panel that was placed a few feet from the door that led deeper into the station.</p><p>“Clank, got another computer spike handy?” Ratchet asked. For answer, Clank rummaged around in his chest compartment and handed him one.</p><p>“Indeed I do,” Clank replied as the feline took the spike and inserted it into an empty slot on the panel. Sachari was busy smashing open the bolt and Raritanium crates that were littered all across the room- after all, it would’ve been a waste to just let Drek keep them! Within moments, Ratchet had the door open, and Sachari had smashed open the last crate and retrieved the treasures that lay inside.</p><p>Both Lombaxes made their way down the hallway ahead, ears twitching at the slightest noise. This particular hall was… eerily quiet. Ratchet could feel something was off. His fur stuck up ever so slightly. The only sound that could be heard was the creaking of the metal support beams of the station. And then a hatch in the ceiling a few metres ahead of them swung open, and out came a swarm of ugly green frog-like creatures that trailed slime in their wake. Ratchet made the mistake of attacking one with his wrench and wound up having the critter literally explode in his face, coating his fur, armour, and poor Clank in disgusting pukey-green slime and only Zoni knows what else. This didn’t deter Ratchet and Sachari from quickly dispatching the rest, though.</p><p>Soon enough, all the Swarmers were dead, and both the Lombaxes and a certain defect were thoroughly covered in the goo.</p><p>“This is disgusting,” Clank said, trying- and failing miserably- to wipe off the sticky substance.</p><p>“At least <em>you</em> don’t have to smell it, unlike us,” Ratchet snarked.</p><p>“Let’s keep moving, guys,” Sachari told them, already jogging towards the other end of the corridor. “We’ve still gotta destroy that Deplanetiser before it leaves the station!” Ratchet followed after her, keeping a steady pace behind. Sachari didn’t bother trying to hack the door to try and open it- instead she smashed the control panel with her Mallet. The weapon sent a small surge of electricity through the panel, and the door slid open without a hitch. On the other side lay the armoury section of the station, which was currently occupied by a circle of Blarg sitting at a table in the corner, playing some kind of card game.</p><p>“I <em>TOLD </em>YOU THOSE WEIRD NOISES IN THE HANGAR <em>WEREN’T</em> FROM LARRY MESSING AROUND WITH THAT STUPID TANK AGAIN!!!” the scrawny Blarg at one corner of the table shrieked, scrambling to his feet and already yanking out a weapon. Some of the other Blarg at the table were about his size, albeit slightly taller. One of the soldiers there, however, was burlier and more muscular than the others.</p><p>The aforementioned soldier gave the two Lombaxes an angry glare as he growled, “Going somewhere, pipsqueaks?”</p><p>“Oh boy,” Ratchet muttered to himself as he and Sachari got into battle stances. This was gonna get messy.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Meanwhile…</em>
</p><p>Elaris’ piloting skills in the middle of a firefight left something to be desired, to say the least. At least, that’s what both Angela and Em’al were thinking as the Elkai swerved the ship wildly to the side to avoid a barrage of enemy fire. Em'al and Scrap almost smacked into a wall more than once while trying to get back to their own turret to try and help out, and Angela was having a really hard time getting a decent shot in. <em>I wish my sister was here,</em> Angela thought as she took aim at a Blargian space fighter jet and fired- only to miss for the hundredth time when Elaris chose at that exact moment to do a barrel roll. But Angela continued to do the best she could in holding off the enemy ships. She just hoped Ratchet, Clank, and her sister got in and out as quickly as possible.</p><p>Things only seemed to get worse when a Blargian<em> Class G Dreadfighter</em> decided to show up. The smaller jet fighters held back when the Dreadfighter arrived- most likely the pilots thought that it would be able to destroy Angela's ship. </p><p>Angela yelled at Elaris, “Looks like the Blarg called in some backup!!”</p><p>“I see 'em!” Elaris called back, steering the ship and flying it straight towards the Dreadfighter. “If you could destroy its power node with the turret, it should cause a chain reaction that'll ignite the fuel tanks and blow up the whole ship- problem is, according to my sensors, it’s shielded. And the shield generator is made of Raritanium…” She paused a moment as she swerved the ship up to avoid a giant missile that the Dreadfighter launched. “I got it!! Angela, you mentioned something about Ratchet putting an Ecto-Magnet in your ship as a weird joke, right?”</p><p>“WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?!?” Angela practically roared as she mowed down several other rockets the Dreadfighter had fired.</p><p>“Can you both please stop <em>arguing</em> and maybe come up with a <em>plan</em> before we all end up <em>dead!?!”</em> Em'al shouted at the top of his lungs, petting the currently-trembling Scrap in his lap in an attempt to calm her, all the while trying to aim at the same time so he could shoot something. Thankfully he managed to destroy the few missiles that Angela had missed just a few moments earlier.</p><p>“I think I know how we can disable that shield generator, but we need to use the Ecto-Magnet to do it!” Elaris turned the dial that was crudely labelled “Ecto-Magnet, use with caution!” with what looked like partially smeared red marker. She piloted the ship towards the smaller Blargian fighters- which were now starting to back away for fear of being blasted- silently hoping that the device would even work. Thankfully, it seemed that the magnet was functioning properly- several of the Blarg fighters got caught in the magnet’s field and started floating slowly towards Angela’s ship. Elaris swerved the ship back around and flew it right towards the Dreadfighter. She hit the booster, and the ship sped up, shooting towards its target like a rocket. “I’ve got to time it just right,” she murmured to herself as the ship continued its approach. “NOW!” Elaris slammed on the brakes and turned the ship around, turning the magnet’s dial at the same time. She hit the booster again as soon as the Blarg fighters slammed into the Dreadfighter’s shield generator, barely avoiding getting roasted by the resulting explosion.</p><p>Just as Elaris had hoped, the shield generator was disabled. Well- to be more accurate, there was actually nothing left of the generator, save for some billows of space dust. She turned the ship back around and started flying towards the Dreadfighter once more. “Okay, Angela, Em’al- once we’re in range, I want you to fire with everything that turret’s got at the power node- it’s that big giant cylinder with the orange lights on it, okay? It’s on the Dreadfighter’s bow!”</p><p>“Got it!” Em’al called back.</p><p>“Understood!” Angela also called.</p><p>As soon as the node was within range, both Em’al and Angela fired at the same time- unleashing a barrage of blaster fire and a couple of mini-rockets for good measure. They all hit their intended target, and the Dreadfighter was instantly engulfed in brilliant display of fireworks and smoke.</p><p>The pilots of the smaller Blargian fighters saw all this and started to fall back to the station- knowing full well they were going to be next.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Back in the Blarg Tactical Research Station…</em>
</p><p>For the most part, Ratchet, Clank, and Sachari met little resistance- no doubt most of the Blarg had hopped into their fighters and were busy getting blown up by Elaris and the others. And what few Blarg soldiers who were still lurking around on the station were probably just too cowardly to go out into space and risk their lives in that firefight. Occasionally, while walking down some of the corridors of the station, Ratchet and his companions would see the battle going on outside- including the destruction of the Dreadfighter.</p><p>“Your girlfriend’s really something, Ratchet,” Sachari remarked casually as they resumed their trek through the station.</p><p>“My what??” Ratchet asked blankly. At that moment, just as the two Lombaxes entered a wide circular room in the centre of the station, a giant Blargian Snapper dropped down from the ceiling, drool dripping from its massive, gaping maw.</p><p>“Uhhh, maybe we should talk about this later?” Sachari suggested, already leaping towards the massive beast and bringing her Mallet down right on its face.</p><p>“Agreed,” Clank replied as Ratchet did a dodge roll when a smaller Snapper- about same size as the one they encountered in the hangar- dropped down and tried to snatch him up into its toothy mouth. The Lombax tele-equipped his Enforcer and pulled the trigger- sending a rocket flying right and true into the Snapper’s wide-open jaws. The creature roared in pain, and then gurgled as it sunk to its “knees”- if the joints in its many appendages could even be called knees. And then it sunk all the way to the floor, no longer posing a threat. Ratchet whipped around and shot at the next Snapper that approached him, also dispatching it.</p><p>Meanwhile, Sachari was busy trying to take out the giant Snapper- no doubt the “Sovereign” of the Blargian Snappers- smashing its brightly coloured carapace in various places with her Versa-Mallet. While the impact itself left little more than a dent in the alien’s shell, the electrical pulse that the Mallet delivered thoroughly cooked the beast’s hide, and thus proved itself to be a powerful weapon against the Sovereign Snapper.</p><p>Once all the smaller Snappers were done away with, Ratchet turned his attention to the Sovereign Snapper to see if he could help out-although by that point his assistance was pretty much unnecessary. Sachari had already dealt the final blow that deterred the Sovereign from attacking further. The alien hissed viciously at the two Lombaxes and backed away from them to the wall at the other end of the room. It crawled up the aforementioned wall and back to its place up on the ceiling, evidently not in the mood for any more fighting. Ratchet, who was breathing heavy at the moment from all the fighting they’d been through in just the space of ten minutes or so, just shrugged tiredly and looked over at Sachari. “Nice work there…”</p><p>Sachari, who was hunched over and panting even more heavily than Ratchet, turned her head and gave the Lombax a sharp glare that would make even the dead shudder in terror. “I just fought a big giant space bug… that’s maybe <em>over </em>half the size of this room!... and <em>all</em> you can say is ‘nice work!’” She didn’t get too worked up over it, though- after all, they had much more important things to worry about at the moment.</p><p>Like destroying the Deplanetiser, for instance.</p><p>So the two Lombaxes made their way to the door at the other end of the room, trying to ignore the fact that the Sovereign Snapper was no doubt still watching them warily from above. Sachari took the honour of opening said door by smashing the panel next to it. And on the other side lay the Primary Control Centre. The one location where, according to the data supplied by the file they found on Quartu, they could initiate the Deplanetiser’s self-destruct sequence and destroy the weapon once and for all. Ratchet and Sachari walked over to the console in the middle of the room and looked at each other.</p><p>“Well… this is it,” Ratchet said, a note of concern in his voice. Something bad was going to happen. He just knew it. It wasn’t just his weird connection with the Zoni that told him- he could feel it in his gut as well, as the organ felt like it was quickly tensing up for the inevitable. Clank hopped off of his back and approached the computer. He clambered up onto the side of it and observed the keypad. “Hmmm… there is something off about this computer… I am not detecting any-”</p><p>A giant Mag-Net engulfed all three heroes from behind, holding them in an electrical field suspended a few feet above the floor. A horrible grating laugh emanated from the room’s entrance as the net turned exactly 180 degrees, allowing the trio to see their captor. And it was none other than Dr. Nefarious himself- albeit, as a robot who looked like he’d gotten caught in the middle of a warzone. His left arm- while still somehow functional- was partially mangled, with bits of sparking circuitry hanging out of some missing panels. Thick, black cracks lined the mechanical scientist’s legs and torso, deeply engrained in his armoured carapace. His left eye’s pupil shined a bright blood-red, while his right pupil was dull and lifeless, not even a spark of electricity lighting up the damaged lens. A long, wide, black crack lined that same side of his face, starting from just above his upper jaw and ending in the middle of the green glass dome that made up his head.</p><p>“Don’t make me laugh,” Nefarious said between giggles, unequipping his Mag-Net Launcher for the time being. “Oh wait! Too late! I’m already laughing, aren’t I?” The nefarious machine chortled a bit more before finally stopping and getting serious. That evil smile never left his face, however, as he went on, “Honestly, you people have to be the <em>biggest</em> idiots in the entire <em>galaxy!!</em> I mean, did you squishy nincompoops of ninnies really think that I’d just let you walk in here and blow up my stuff will-nilly?!” the scientist shrieked, starting to approach them. “Lawrence was right about one thing- if anyone can beat a <em>moron</em> at their own game, it’s me. And I just beat a whole bunch of them!!You literally <em>walked</em> right into my trap!” He stopped walking when he was just a couple of inches away from where Ratchet was trapped in the net.</p><p>The Lombax glared down at Nefarious defiantly. “You’ll<em> never </em>win, Nefarious. Even if we can’t save Veldin, do you really think that the rest of Solana is just gonna let you and Drek <em>get away</em> with this-”</p><p>“Excuse me!? Can you repeat that?!?” Nefarious didn’t wait for Ratchet, or anyone else, to respond. “‘Drek and I’ aren’t getting away with anything! I did away with that nuisance of a Blarg… just like what I’m going to do with you.” He paused for a moment, pondering. “But I have a much more fitting end for you than being blasted off into space as a <em>sheep.</em> No… I’ve been preparing for this very moment for <em>far</em> too long!”</p><p>“What’re you even <em>talking </em>about?!” Sachari snarled at Nefarious. “Up to this moment, none of us have ever even <em>met</em> you!”</p><p>“Ever hear of a multiverse??” Nefarious snickered before continuing, “Maybe we never met in <em>this</em> reality… but in others…” An evil glint appeared in his one good eye, along with… something else. Something Ratchet couldn’t quite place. That “something else” only seemed to become more visible to the Lombax when Nefarious turned his attention back onto him. “I’d hoped that the virus I infected your caretaker with would’ve killed you too, but it seems Lombaxes’ immune systems work a little differently in this universe.”</p><p>Ratchet’s heart sunk, and a rage started to boil in his chest. <em>“What? What did you say??”</em> he hissed, even though he fully knew the answer. <em>He killed Grim- he killed my only family- he killed my </em>father<em>- he’s going to pay-</em> “I’ll kill you for this,” the Lombax vowed, his voice deepening into a low growl. “I don’t care if I’m dead by then- I’ll come back as a ghost or something and kill you where you sleep.”</p><p>“I’m going to <em>love </em>breaking this to you, Ratchet- there’s two problems with that threat of yours,” Nefarious told him. “For one: I don’t like to sleep. So I don’t. And number two: ghosts don’t exist. Now shut up! Muahaha-ahhahahaah-NAAHAHAAH!!!…” After the doctor’s laughing had trailed off into silence, he pressed a button on his good arm, which apparently activated the small thrusters installed in the Mag-Net.</p><p>As Nefarious led the net, and the three heroes inside, to what could very likely be their doom, the scientist snarled, “It’s time for me to finally kill you… <em>again.”</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Cliffhanger, again! Muahahaha... I'm evil... very VERY evil! ssjcfjfffsfhjfhghhf</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Veintiuno</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ratchet couldn’t help but think there was something disturbingly familiar about all this as Nefarious had a couple of Blarg soldiers strap all three of them to giant asteroid, which was attached to a catapult. But how could he find any of this familiar? Last he checked, this was the first time he’d ever been tied up to an asteroid- an asteroid on an overrated slingshot, no less. A slingshot that was aimed to send all three heroes flying into space, and thereby their doom. One of the Blarg, who was apparently coming further up the ramp to make sure the strap was secure, sneakily slipped something into Ratchet’s hand.</p><p>“If you manage to survive this and come back like the Plumber guy said you would,” the soldier whispered quickly to him, “make Nefarious pay, will you? Oh, and the Plumber told me to tell you he says ‘hi.’ But seriously though-” The Blarg rambled a little more while he gave the strap a final tug, “-make him pay… please?” With that said, the Blarg stepped away and turned around, giving the maniacal mad scientist a salute.</p><p>Not that it mattered- Nefarious was too busy fussing over the console to care. “I specifically asked for RED buttons!! RED!!! Not GREEN!!”</p><p>While Nefarious was still distracted, Ratchet moved his arm as best he could (which was very little at the moment) and slipped whatever it was the Blarg had given him into his pocket.</p><p>The Blarg blinked at him. “Sir?”</p><p>“WHAAAATT?!? Can’t you see I’m busy?!”</p><p>“The strap is secure,” the Blarg told him, scurrying off the ramp and taking his place beside his brethren. Nefarious smiled at this tidbit of information and forgot his rage about the buttons for the moment.</p><p>“Excellent!” the robotic scientist growled, rubbing his hands together enthusiastically. His eyes flicked up to look at the three soon-to-be-dead prisoners strapped to the asteroid, and his evil smile widened. “You know, there was a time it would’ve broken my mechanical heart to do this to you,” Nefarious hissed that them. He locked his gaze with Ratchet’s, and his red eyes narrowed. “There was a time I might’ve even called you my <em>friends</em>. But <em>now?</em> I feel absolutely <em>nothing.</em> And once I press this button- WHICH IS STILL NOT <em>RED</em> LIKE I SPECIFICALLY ORDERED!!!- the only thing I’ll feel is <em>joy</em> at your <em>demise</em> at my claws!!” The nefarious inventor burst into a fit of giggles, which quickly morphed into his trademark evil laughter. He slammed his fist down on the button, and the asteroid flew past him with a <em>whoosh</em> and into space. <em>Out of sight, out of mind,</em> Nefarious thought to himself. <em>For now, anyway.</em> He still remembered the first time they’d survived the asteroid. He knew it wasn’t going to work this time- he was just using it again as a ploy to stall for time. He had a <em>much</em> more satisfying way of killing the nusiances planned. And speaking of nusiances…</p><p>Nefarious turned around and faced the small group of Blarg soldiers, who were still standing attention in a short line behind him. “You there, Steve, or whatever your name is,” he said, pointing at the soldier who was responsible for making sure the strap was secure. “Stand over there. Now.” “Steve” gulped and nodded in response, wordlessly making his way to the spot that Nefarious was now pointing to. Once the soldier was standing there, the mad scientist turned his attention to another soldier in the line. “You- Jerry is it?- step forward a bit and pull out your blaster.” Jerry’s eyes widened as he realised what Nefarious was about to make him do. He stepped forward, trembling as he slowly pulled his Lancer out of his holster. “Now aim at him,” Nefarious ordered, pointing at Steve, who too realised what was happening. <em>The traitor,</em> Nefarious thought. Jerry hesitantly lifted his Lancer up, pointing it at his fellow soldier.  “And fire.”</p><p>Jerry didn’t shoot. His finger rested on the trigger, but he wouldn’t pull it. “I can’t do it- he’s my <em>friend-”</em></p><p>Nefarious practically roared at Jerry and- in one motion- had stepped forward and ripped the Lancer out of his hand. “I’m sorry, can you repeat that?! Your <em>FRIEND?!?</em>  If you <em>won’t</em> do it…” The mad scientist took aim at Steve, who was looking back at him in wide-eyed terror. “… then <em>I</em> will!”</p><p>And he pulled the trigger.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Not much later…</em>
</p><p>“Wha- the Deplanetiser! It’s… it’s leaving!…” From where she’d parked the ship a (hopefully) safe distance away from the Blarg Tactical Research Station, Elaris could see through the cockpit window that the Deplanetiser was detaching itself from the station. The thrusters lining the bottom of the superweapon kicked in, propelling it away from the station. A swarm of Blarg fighters left the now-open hangar of the aforementioned station and followed after the Deplanetiser- no doubt to protect it.</p><p>Em’al, Scrap, and Angela made their way up to the front of the ship to see what was happening. “We failed,” Em’al murmured to himself softly. “Drek’s won…”</p><p>“My sister- we need to get in there and save her!-”</p><p>“No!” Elaris whipped her head around to look at Angela. “Angela… I’m sorry, but… if they weren’t able to destroy the Deplanetiser then-”</p><p>“Don’t you dare,” Angela hissed, her sharp claws extending through the cloth of her gloves. “Don’t you dare say it. She’s not dead- they’re not dead-!”</p><p>“Angela!” Elaris snapped. She got up out of her seat and glared at her, crossing her arms. <em>“Maybe</em> they’re still alive, but right now we need to prioritise! If we don’t try to finish what we started, then more innocent people are going to die! Veldin is <em>populated!</em> And do you honestly think that he’s just going to stop there?! He’s not gonna stop, Angela! Not until he has enough pieces for his ‘perfect planet’- and by then there might be nothing left of the galaxy!” She paused and sighed, trying to calm down. “I’m sure Ratchet, Clank, and Sachari can take care of themselves- they’re capable people. And I think, regardless of whether or not they’re still… I think they’d want us to keep going.”</p><p>Angela closed her eyes, silent for a long moment. Her claws retracted back underneath her gloves. “You’re right… I still hate you… but you’re right. Okay- we’ll do it your way.” She was quiet for a minute. “It's what she'd want…”</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Sometime later… location unknown…</em>
</p><p>“Ngggh…” Ratchet- who was lying face down in some smelly, damp muck- slowly got up onto his knees as consciousness returned to him. Two sets of hands were supporting him, one pair cold and metallic, the other warm and fleshy. “Wha… where are… where are we??” The Lombax opened his eyes and was greeted by the sight of Clank’s and Sachari’s concerned faces.</p><p>“No idea,” Sachari replied as she and Clank helped Ratchet to his feet. “I’m still trying to figure out how we even survived the impact. And getting fried in the atmosphere, for that matter.” She tilted her head in the direction of the scorched asteroid resting in a crater a couple yards away, still smoking from the crash.</p><p>“I’d say it’s the Zoni again,” Ratchet told her. There was an odd edge in his voice as he spoke. The feline turned away from his friends and just stared at the asteroid for a long moment, troubled.</p><p>“Ratchet?” Clank addressed, his voice low. “Are you… alright?”</p><p>“No, Clank,” Ratchet growled, turning back around to look at them. “I’m not ‘alright!’ We just <em>lost</em>- we<em> LOST</em>- obviously I’m not alright! Nefarious <em>won,</em> and now he’s gonna destroy Veldin and who knows how many other planets!! And here we are, stuck on some stormy, rainy, lifeless rock of a planet- or moon, or whatever- and we don’t even have a ship! And don’t even get me started on the stupid <em>Zoni!!”</em> He gave a mirthless laugh and plopped his rear back down in the muck, resting his elbows on his knees and letting his face fall into his hands. “It’s hopeless…”</p><p>There was a few seconds of silence. Sachari broke it by saying, “So, you’re just gonna sit here, wallowing in your own self-pity while Nefarious wipes out your home and everyone in it??” Ratchet lifted up his head, mouth open to say something, but she didn’t let him get a word in. “And I’m <em>not</em> just talking about Veldin! I’m talking about the entire <em>galaxy!!</em> Nefarious may even go <em>beyond</em> Solana! He might attack Bogon next, maybe even <em>Polaris!</em> There are <em>trillions </em>of people who will die if we do <em>nothing!”</em></p><p>“Sachari is right, Ratchet,” Clank told the golden-furred Lombax. He stepped forward and, after a moment of consideration, put a hand on Ratchet’s shoulder as he added, “It is not about you. It is not about us. This is about <em>them</em>. The people whose lives depend on what we do <em>next</em>. Yes, we may fail. Yes, we may die. That is the painful truth about life. But we must at least try, not for ourselves, but for <em>them.”</em> He paused a moment and said, “I believe in you, Ratchet. And I <em>know</em> that you <em>will</em> do the right thing.”</p><p>The whole time Clank spoke, Ratchet didn’t look at him- instead, he just stared down at his feet. He was still staring at his feet when Clank finished. When the Lombax didn’t move, or even respond, the defect felt the small sliver of hope left in his circuitry beginning to fade. And then Ratchet did do something.</p><p>He hugged Clank.</p><p>“You’re right,” Ratchet said quietly, holding Clank in his arms tightly. “We can’t stop now. We might still have a shot. And we’ve gotta use it while we have the chance.”</p><p>“I am pleased to see you have returned to your senses, Ratchet,” Clank replied, pulling away from the Lombax after a moment. “Also, your previous statement in regards to this planet being lifeless is quite inaccurate. My sensors detect various forms of wildlife lurking nearby in this particular section of the canyon. In addition, I am picking up a transponder signal approximately three kilometres to the south. If you and Sachari are still able to use your hoverboots-”</p><p>“Technically, mine are <em>boot thrusters,</em> not hoverboots,” Sachari corrected. As if there was a difference.</p><p>Clank merely ignored the interruption. “- I believe we will reach the source within the hour. Perhaps there, we may find something that can help us.”</p><p>Ratchet smiled, and allowed Clank to climb up onto his back as he replied, “What’d I ever do without you?”</p><p>“I have not the faintest.”</p><p>Ratchet looked over at Sachari, still smiling. “Race you there.”</p><p>“You’re on,” Sachari told him, smirking back at him. And with that said, both Lombaxes activated their respective transportation equipment and rocketed down the canyon. As they sped across the rocky terrain at near-breakneck speeds, Ratchet could see numerous gloomy ruins along the way, the massive stone structures jutting up into the rainy sky. <em>Cragmite ruins,</em> something told him. These ruins were once constructed by the Cragmites. In that moment, he remembered IRIS’ words to him.</p><p>
  <em>There is one thing- remember these words when you reach Reepor: potential allies can come from even the most unlikely of places. Choose your actions wisely. The fate of not only the galaxy, but all existence itself, will depend on it.</em>
</p><p>So they were <em>meant</em> to come here. To the planet Reepor. A very fitting name, considering the bleak, rampant storms currently plaguing the area.</p><p>They were meant to pick up a potential ally, someone who could help them. Supposedly, anyway- Ratchet was beginning to have his doubts about IRIS and the Zoni, and their true intentions. Maybe they truly meant no ill will, but the Lombax couldn’t help but feel suspicious of them now.</p><p>As Clank had said, they were able to reach the source of the transponder signal within the hour. Ratchet deactivated his hoverboots as he came to a stop before a massive stone temple, which was carved into the rock face of one of the canyon walls. Sachari landed a few paces behind the other feline, and walked up to where he was standing. “So… it’s in there?” she asked.</p><p>“Only one way to find out,” Ratchet replied, pressing a button on the side of his helmet and thereby activating the small flashlight installed in the top of the aforementioned piece of headgear. The inside of the temple was illuminated thanks to Ratchet’s “helmet lamp”, allowing them to see as they stepped inside. Ancient glyphs and runes were carved all over the walls, and some even on the ceiling. But unlike the runes Ratchet and Clank saw in the Zoni temple on Grelbin, these ones weren’t glowing. And they were obviously in a different language, no doubt in whatever language the Cragmites in this area used to use. In any case, Ratchet couldn’t read them.</p><p>Thunder clashed outside the temple, and lightning briefly shone through the temple opening, brightening up the somewhat cramped corridor for a split-second. The two Lombaxes continued their trek, going deeper and deeper into the dark, dank temple. After about ten minutes of walking down the narrow- and windy- tunnel, Clank announced, “We are now approximately twenty feet from the source of the signal.”</p><p>Thirty seconds later, and they entered a massive cylindrical stone chamber that was brightly lit up by a giant bulb attached to the ceiling. “Whoa…” As he turned off his helmet lamp, Ratchet looked around the room in amazement- scattered all across the Raritanium tables and the tile floors were half-finished projects, random parts in general, and tools of all sorts. Whoever lived here- and for all this equipment and machinery to be here, someone had to be living here, or at least come here often- was clearly very technologically minded and took pleasure in their work. “Look at all this stuff!”</p><p>“Is this a grav-o-metric warp drive?” Sachari asked, picking up from a nearby table a small sphere with several cylindrical rods sticking out of it.</p><p>“I’d be careful with that, if I were you,” a high-pitched, slightly scratchy voice called from across the room. Ratchet, Sachari, and Clank (who had hopped off of Ratchet’s back by this point and started wandering around a bit) turned their heads to see an odd-looking creature sitting at a worktable a ways away, tinkering with… something. Ratchet couldn’t really tell what it was from where he was standing. “It’s highly unstable, and very likely to explode if you drop it- so, if you please…” The alien pointed with a hydrospanner at the table Sachari had gotten the device from in the first place.</p><p>She quickly and gently put it back, and then followed Ratchet and Clank as they approached the alien.</p><p>“My name is Percival Tachyon,” the alien “Percival” explained, now seeming more cheerful upon Sachari following their suggestion. They clambered up onto the table and swung a random, <em>non</em>-Omni-wrench up in the air dramatically as they went on, “and <em>I</em> am the <em>greatest</em> inventor in the <em>universe!”</em> Their oversized goggles slid over their eyes in the process, and they were forced to push them back up onto their forehead. “Ahem- anyway… Zurgo might say otherwise, but don’t listen to him- he just keeps trying to steal all my work! He’s a really <em>petty</em> fellow, that one. Outshine people like him just <em>once</em>, and all they ever do is copy you so they can make two more bolts or so an hour.”</p><p>“You are an inventor, you say?” Clank asked. He did not wait for an answer as he went on, “Are you not also considered a criminal in both the Bogon and Polaris Galaxies?”</p><p>“A criminal?!” Percival was taken aback by this accusation. “I’m <em>not</em> a criminal- sure, I did a few favors for Megacorp, and they paid well! Plus I needed the money for a project of mine. And anyway, the people I… <em>disposed</em> of were crooks. At least… that’s what they told me. To be honest, they kinda kept me outta the loop on some things… make that a lot of things…” There was a long pause. “… make that everything… but whatever, it’s not like I can resurrect the dead. I’m an <em>inventor</em>, not a miracle worker.”</p><p>Ratchet facepalmed and shook his head. After a short moment, he lowered his hand and met Percival’s gaze as he asked, “Are you the one who’s been broadcasting that transponder signal?”</p><p>“Huh?” Percival stared at him blankly for a moment. “Oh!” They lifted up a finger in triumph. <em>“That</em> transponder signal! Oh yeah, some weird floating alien lifeform told me to broadcast it- I wish I’d gotten some scans of him before he left though… oh, and he told me to help out whoever showed up and asked about it- he said he’d compensate me if I did. I dunno if he’s actually going to keep that promise or not.”</p><p>“Well, in any case,” Sachari spoke up, “we’re here. We’re the ones you need to help… I… think…” She trailed off and muttered to herself, <em>“I hope.”</em> She also was hoping that Percival’s definition of “help” didn’t involve maiming them to death and hiding their bodies, or something of the like. The alien didn’t really seem all that sane to her. “We need a way off this planet. Got anything that might help us out?”</p><p>Percival was only half-listening, as their eyes were glued to the glove Ratchet was wearing. “Oooh- is that a Rift Tether? I haven’t seen one of those in over three cycles!” They then turned to look at Sachari as her words were finally processed by their mind. “Hmm, yes, I thought so! And I think I have just the thing…” The eccentric alien slid off the table and made their way over to wide, short pathway that led into another chamber- one that was twice as big as the previous. Percival stopped and turned around to face the others. “Well?? What are you three just standing there for? You’re the ones who wanted help, so get over here!”</p><p>Clank shared a look with Ratchet, the latter commenting semi-quietly, “Wow, someone’s a bit bossy.”</p><p>“I <em>heard </em>that!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oof... hopefully I didn't butcher Percy's personality too much... anyways, constructive criticism is always appreciated, FLAMES however are NOT.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Veintidós</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Percival led the three heroes towards an old, rusted ship tucked away in the corner of the chamber. “Aphelion,” the eccentric little alien called to the ship, readjusting their goggles for the millionth time (as the said piece of headwear had slid down over their eyes again). “Aphelion! Wake up!”</p><p>The ship- which was painted in a shad of reddish brown, and had yellow runes written in the Lombax language painted on each side- hummed to life. Aphelion lifted up in the air a bit, took one look at Percival, and scoffed. “What is it now, you little-”</p><p>“Now now, none of that,” Percival interrupted. They gestured to their companions as they went on, “We have guests!”</p><p>Aphelion then turned her attention to the people her current owner was referring to, and her voice soften as she said, “A Lombax! Oh, no- <em>two! </em>I haven’t seen one of you in a very long time… it’s been many, many centuries. The only company I’ve had of late is this <em>loon-”</em> Percival let out an indignant “Hey!” which went ignored as the sentient ship continued, “- who won’t even let me out of the hangar for a loop or two around the canyon!”</p><p><em>“Anyway,”</em> Percival spoke before anyone else had a chance to comment, “Aphelion here is installed with one of my more… <em>experimental</em> grav-o-metric warp drives. Feel free to take her- if you survive the trip, she’ll get you where you need to be. If you don’t, <em>weeeelllll</em>… there probably <em>won’t </em>be anything left of your bodies for a proper funeral.”</p><p>“You’re a real good conversationalist, Percy,” Ratchet replied, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.</p><p>Percival poked Ratchet in the chest with their wrench, glared at him right in the eyes, and said, <em>“Don’t</em> call me Percy.” They didn’t wait for a response as they went on, “And if you do survive the trip, and finish up whatever it is you need to do, please be sure to wire me some bolts- there’s a guy on <em>Qwark’s List</em> from Pokitaru who’s willing to sell me his Persuader if I pay him five thousand bolts.”</p><p>“Do not worry, friend,” Clank told them. “Once the galaxy is safe from harm, you will be compensated for your services.”</p><p>Percival grinned and whooped happily. “I just did business- and <em>successfully</em> too, at that! Take that, Stuart Zurgo!” After a couple more whoops, they sobered up a bit and looked at the three heroes, still smiling. “And uhh… good luck out there with… whatever it is you’re doing… hopefully nothing <em>illegal…”</em></p><p>“One more thing before we go,” Ratchet spoke up, pulling a small object out of his pocket- the same object that the one Blarg soldier had given him moments before the trio got launched into space. He handed the object to Percival and continued, “Is there anything you can do with this?”</p><p>Percival looked up at Ratchet, instantly realising what the object in their hands was. They smiled and responded, “Yes, I believe there is. But I’m going to need a pair of Omni-Wrenches though, and a nav-unit… and that flashlight thing in your helmet.”</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Sometime later… planet Veldin…</em>
</p><p>“Hey, that’s odd,” Ratchet said as Clank piloted Aphelion into Veldin’s atmosphere. The Lombax was busy studying the viewer for the ship’s sensor array. “I’m picking up what looks like… wait a second… hang on- <em>hit the brakes</em>, Clank!”</p><p>Clank halted the ship for the moment and looked over at his friend in puzzlement. “What is it?” Sachari peeked between the front seats (as she was currently sitting in the back) at the viewer screen, also curious.</p><p>“It looks like Angela’s ship crashed in front of my garage here!” Ratchet looked over at the defect sitting beside him. “We should land.” Clank nodded in agreement and carefully set the ship down next to the garage. Aphelion opened the cockpit without waiting for the order, evidently having anticipated this as being their next command. Ratchet, Clank, and Sachari hopped out of the ship one by one- much to the surprise and amazement of Elaris and her companions.</p><p>“Ratchet!” Without warning, Elaris had pulled Ratchet into her arms, squeezing him tightly in her “tight as a vice” version of a hug. “You’re okay!”</p><p>“I- can’t- b-breathe,” Ratchet gasped, feeling the air being pushed out of his lungs.</p><p>“Oh- sorry!” Elaris quickly released him, and the Lombax felt the sweet sensation of oxygen rushing back into his lungs. Ratchet turned his head to see Angela and Sachari hugging each other, both happy to see the other not dead. Em’al just stood off to the side a bit, smiling at all the displays of affection and happiness.</p><p>“We still need to stop Nefarious before he destroys any more planets,” Ratchet said. He turned to Sachari and continued, “You and the others should take Aphelion and get off this planet while you still can-” The silver-furred Lombax had opened her mouth to object, but Ratchet raised his hand for her to be quiet. “There’s no guarantee I’m going to be able to stop him… and if I lose, then it’s up to you guys to finish what we started.”</p><p>“I am inclined to agree,” Clank spoke up. “However, I will not be leaving with them.” Ratchet turned his head to look at the defect in surprise. “Someone must be there to watch your back,” Clank explained.</p><p>Ratchet could only smile softly in response. “So in other words, you’re with me to the end?”</p><p>“Essentially, yes.”</p><p>Elaris sighed tiredly. She really didn’t agree with any of this- she felt that they should all face Nefarious or Drek or whoever was currently in charge of this mess together. But she also felt that this was the most logical course of action- even if Ratchet and Clank lose the battle today, then she, Angela, and the others could still have a fighting chance.</p><p>This plan was their best bet, at the moment.</p><p>Elaris put a hand on Ratchet’s shoulder, drawing his attention to her as she told him, “Just stay safe, okay?” She then looked over at Clank and went on, “Both of you.”</p><p>“We promise,” Clank replied.</p><p>“We won’t let you down,” Ratchet added.</p><p>“Then what’re you boys waiting for? Get moving!”</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Sometime later…</em>
</p><p>Ratchet took a deep breath as he tightened his grip on his newly constructed Twin-Ended Omni-Wrench (which Percival had constructed for him using Ratchet’s nav-unit and a couple other things) and stepped up off the sandy trail and onto the platform before him. Ahead he could see a giant mech just sitting there, and Nefarious sprawled in a chair inside the big, green glass dome of the aforementioned mech.</p><p>No doubt he’d been waiting for the duo for some time.</p><p>“Ahh, about time you two showed up!” Nefarious drawled gleefully upon spotting them. He sat up straighter in his chair, hands already making their way to the controls. “I was beginning to think that asteroid might’ve actually <em>killed</em> you.”</p><p>“It’s over, Nefarious!” Ratchet growled at the villainous robot.</p><p>“Indeed it is!” Nefarious smirked evilly down at the Lombax as he activated the mech and began charging up his weapons. <em>“FOR YOU!!”</em></p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know this chapter is short, but I wanted to end on a cliffhanger again- I'll try to make up for it by making the next chapter much longer (especially now that we're deep in the endgame now). </p><p>Constructive criticism is always appreciated, and FLAMES are NOT!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Veintitrés</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Moments ago…</em>
</p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">“It’s over, Nefarious!” Ratchet growled at the villainous robot. </span> </em>
</p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">“Indeed it is!” Nefarious smirked evilly down at the Lombax as he activated the mech and began charging up his weapons. “FOR YOU!!”</span> </em>
</p><p>
  <em>And now…</em>
</p><p>Ratchet yelped as Nefarious’ mech shot up the Magne-Rail directly in front of him with a barrage of missiles, which forced the Lombax to leap off the rail and use his Rift-Tether to warp over to the undamaged one running parallel to it. The feline’s hoverboots continued to propel him along the rail at high speeds, allowing him to keep up with the mech.</p><p>“Why won’t you just <em>STAY STILL?!?!?”</em> Nefarious shrieked at the top of his vocal synthesisers, once more blasting up the railway. Ratchet jumped off, his fur getting slightly singed from the flames left behind in the missiles’ wake. He tele-equipped his Swingshot and grappled onto a nearby canyon rock face. The Lombax ran across the side of the rock wall and disengaged his Swingshot as he boosted off, just as Nefarious decided to lob a massive ball of purple energy at him. Ratchet’s hoverboots propelled him onto another Magne-Rail and he resumed his chase. “Stop <em>MOVING!!”</em> the mad scientist screeched, raising his mech’s arm and smashing the rail ahead with it. Clank activated his Thruster Pack at the same time Ratchet jumped, allowing the duo to sail over the massive gap- barely. The rail then ended as it reached a wide, circular platform in the middle of the canyon. A series of other rails were attached to it, leading to who knows where. Ratchet switched back to his new Omni-Wrench and, just as Nefarious’ mech came in close to try and squash him with its fist, the Lombax swung his wrench- launching a ball of ice directly at the mech’s dome. The frozen water coated the outside of the dome, rendering it impossible for Nefarious to see through it.</p><p>Ratchet took this opportunity to tele-equip his Enforcer and bombard the mech with missile after missile. “You think you’re so <em>clever</em>, don’t you?!” Nefarious shouted as he switched on his sensor array. “Let’s see who’s the clever one <em>now!!”</em> The scientist lobbed orbs of explosive purple energy at the Lombax, one after the other, naturally forcing the feline to jump out of the way of each one. And just as Ratchet leapt to dodge the last one, the torso of Nefarious’ mech opened up and catapulted a small metal disc that sparked with electricity- and hit the Lombax dead centre in the chest. Ratchet hit the ground front-first with a cry, and whimpered in pain as the high voltage coursed painfully through both his body and Clank's.</p><p>Just as Nefarious swung his mech’s fist downward to crush them, Ratchet’s ears caught a hissing noise and the squelch of something impacting a forcefield. The Lombax opened his eyes and started to stand, marveling at the bright aqua blue shield surrounding both him and Clank. “Whoa… Clank, are you seeing this?”</p><p>“Indeed I am, Ratchet… it is quite intriguing,” Clank remarked.</p><p>Ratchet dashed to the side as the shield dissipated and Nefarious swung the fist down a second time. Thankfully it missed. “Nefarious, this needs to stop!” Ratchet growled, tele-equipping his Predator Launcher.  </p><p>“Excuse me!?” Nefarious growled right back as the last of the ice melted off his mech’s dome, revealing underneath the glass the <em>very </em>unhappy expression of the villain in question. “You’re <em>not </em>the one in charge of this evil scheme! <em>I AM!!</em> So why don’t you <em>zip it</em> and just <em>die </em>already?!” He then started bombarding the platform with missiles, forcing Ratchet to leap onto the nearest Magne-Rail. He hoverbooted across the rail, Nefarious’ mech following close behind. The mech rocketed past him, one of its arms transforming into a what looked like a giant, heavily modified version of the Megacorp Zodiac. Nefarious pointed the mech’s newly-transformed arm at the rail ahead of Ratchet and started blasting it, leaving nothing left of the long rod of metal- save for blackened ash that blew away in the wind.</p><p>Ratchet leapt off the rail and used his Swingshot to grapple onto another rock face. “Is it just me, or does it seem like Nefarious really enjoys the idea of us falling to our deaths?” The feline disengaged his Swingshot and boosted off the rock wall, falling a little ways before landing on a large, stony plateau. He hoverbooted across it a ways, weaving between the laser blasts Nefarious shot at them, before ramping off an incline jutting out of the edge of the plateau and- with the help of his Rift Tether- warping onto another Magne-Rail. “I think I see the Deplanetiser dead ahead!” The Lombax gritted his teeth as the realisation came to him.</p><p>Nefarious had purposefully led them here.</p><p>Ratchet jumped off the rail just before he reached the point where it winded away from the superweapon and hit the Deplanetiser’s central upper platform feet first. Nefarious’ mech settled down across from him, and the glass dome dissipated. The mad scientist rubbed his hands together gleefully as he stepped out into the open.</p><p>Ratchet just stared at him disbelief.</p><p>“What’re you looking at me like that for?” Nefarious asked, seemingly amused. “I got bored with my mech- I’d much rather end your wretched existence by slicing open your throat with my claws.”</p><p>“The only one whose existence is ending <em>today</em> is yours, Nefarious,” Ratchet told him, equipping his wrench once more. “If you think I’m just gonna let you blow up my home planet and everyone on it without a fight, you’ve got another thing coming.”</p><p>“Always playing the hero, aren’t you?” Nefarious drawled, his hands now beginning to glow a violet-red. “You, Clank, and even that bumbling moron Qwark- you acted like you cared- got under my circuitry… and not a single one of you even had the decency to tell me to my face that I meant nothing to you!!”</p><p>“You sure you're not the one who <em>drove</em> them away?!" Ratchet retorted, getting into a battle stance and charging up his Omni-Wrench. </p><p>“Enough talk already,” Nefarious hissed, his voice darkening as he slowly approached the Lombax. “Now fight me,” he growled, an evil smile spreading across his face. Ratchet barely had enough time to dash out of the way as a holographic copy of Nefarious darted forward, slashing at him with its claws. “One dead little Lombax,” Nefarious sang gleefully as he launched another holographic version of himself at the feline in question, “and one dead little robot!” Ratchet tucked and rolled out of the way, panting heavily from exhaustion. He scrambled to his feet and swung his wrench towards the villain, sending shards of ice flying at him. Nefarious flung up a protective shield, blocking the attack. “Is that all you’ve got?” the villainous robot snarled. <em>“Pathetic!</em> I’ve killed <em>countless</em> versions of you who could hit me harder than that!!”</p><p>“So how come you haven’t been able to kill <em>me</em> yet?” Ratchet snarked back, swinging his wrench again and launching a long shard of ice hurtling towards Nefarious.</p><p>“Maybe I’m just going easy on you!”</p><p>Nefarious leapt straight up into the air and, as he rocketed back down, slammed his hands down hard on the platform, sending a purple-ish black shockwave rippling across the metal. Ratchet, with the help of Clank’s thruster pack, managed to jump over it.</p><p>A feminine computerised voice spoke up from the speakers installed in the Deplanetiser. <em>“Activation codes received. Initiating Deplanetisation in three… two… one.”</em> A loud hum began to rise from the machine underneath Ratchet’s feet as it powered up. A laser shot out from the Deplanetiser’s massive nozzle, starting to carve into the planet’s crust. <em>“Deplanetisation will be complete in T minus five minutes.”</em></p><p>“You won’t be able to stop it <em>now!”</em> Nefarious laughed maniacally as a purple orb of energy appeared in each of his hands. “Even if you <em>somehow </em>manage to kill me, Veldin will be destroyed with <em>you</em> on it!”</p><p>And in that moment, as his helmet’s visor registered a new rift opening up in the Deplanetiser’s core chamber, Ratchet had an idea. An idea that no doubt was going to kill both him and Clank- but still save Veldin. He tele-equipped his Rift Tether and grappled onto the anomaly, phasing through the layers of metal and into the central chamber of the superweapon.</p><p>“Ratchet…?”</p><p>“I have an idea, Clank,” Ratchet told him. He could faintly hear Nefarious’ frustrated shrieking from somewhere above. No doubt the mentally-snapped scientist would be climbing into his mech momentarily and tear the weapon apart just to get to them. “But… we’re probably not gonna survive it. Not unless the Zoni decide to ‘intervene’ again…” Ratchet re-equipped his Omni-Wrench and started bashing the Deplanetiser’s power core with it.</p><p>“If that is the case…” Clank spoke up, hopping off Ratchet’s back and turning to face the feline he had come to call his friend. “… then may I say it has been a pleasure to be your friend.” Ratchet smiled at the defect’s words and resumed his smashing of the power core. Clank stood beside him, not moving, just waiting for the inevitable. The core started to crack under the impacts, and flames spurted out of the newly created gaps.</p><p>As Nefarious’ mech started to tear open the Deplanetiser to reach the duo, the power core exploded.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Constructive criticism, as always, is appreciated. FLAMES are NOT, and will be deleted on sight.</p>
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<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I just wanna say thanks to The_Zoni_Enthusiast for helping me out with the previous chapter- I really appreciate it and I can't thank you enough! Skdkdjdjdjjd Also, my dear readers, please check out their awesome fics! You can find them right here on AO3!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Elaris fiddled with her bright blue Ranger pin some more as she followed Ratchet out into the lobby of the Presidential Tower. “Do I look alright?” she asked him, an anxious look on her face- she'd opted to wear a lavender-coloured suit today (as she had never been a dress kind of person and never would be), but she was still nervous as heck. What if she put her pin on upside down? What if the washer didn’t get all last week’s meatloaf stains out? What if she was a laughingstock? What if-</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You look great, Elaris! You're gonna knock 'em dead!” Ratchet told her, interrupting her rampant train of thought. He was dressed in a new suit of armour he'd purchased a few days ago (she seemed to remember him calling it “Blackstar Armour”). He gave her a smile and took her hand in his, squeezing it briefly before releasing. “And if anyone says otherwise, I'll personally see to it they get knocked dead whether they like it or not!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Elaris chuckled softly in amusement, and then held out her elbow to him. “Shall we?” Ratchet's smile widened, and he looped his arm around hers.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Heck yeah!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And then, with arm and arm, Ratchet and Elaris stepped as one out of the Tower's lobby. Except the scene outside wasn’t anything like he was expecting. Instead of the rest of their team all standing attention in a line, instead of President Phyronix off to the side with a medal for each of them in hand, instead of a crowd of happy spectators, cheering and whooping… instead of all that, there was just a wide expanse of desert opening up ahead. And Elaris was no longer next to him- cold, empty air now occupied the place where she stood previously only seconds earlier. Far away, an ominous shattering sound echoed off the mountains splashed across the horizon and reached the thoroughly confused Lombax’s ears. Cracks appeared in the crust beneath the sand, spreading out into thick, black branches. The sand started to spill into the cracks, never to be seen again.</em>
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  <em>And then, in a flash of light, he was falling. Falling to what would have been his death, as massive pieces of machinery that once made up the Deplanetiser fell with him. He felt a little metal hand grab his, and Ratchet looked over to see Clank falling with him. A bright aqua-coloured shield surrounded the duo as they plummeted. And then Clank’s body started disintegrating into ash. “No no no- Clank!” The shield surrounding the feline and what remained of his friend flickered out of existence, and as soon as Ratchet hit the ground, all went black.</em>
</p><p>“Clank!!” Ratchet clawed his way out of bed, his legs getting tangled up in the sheets and causing him to comically face-plant on the floor, while his feet were still partially on the bed. A clanking of metal feet softly hitting the wooden floor could be heard as Ratchet struggled to free his feet from their prison in the blankets.</p><p>“Ratchet!” Clank clambered onto the bed and pulled the sheets back, freeing the Lombax’s paws. He then hopped off and helped the feline to sit up, noting the dried tear-stains in Ratchet’s fur. “Are you alright? What happened-”</p><p>Ratchet unexpectedly pulled the defect into a hug, murmuring something along the lines of “You’re okay.”</p><p>For a short moment, Clank returned the hug. But then he pulled away from the Lombax, intent on getting to root of what was going on. “What happened?” he asked firmly, making it perfectly clear that there was no room for worming around the issue. He wanted an answer.</p><p>Ratchet sighed tiredly, rubbing his now-closed eyes with his fingers. “Can we talk about it outside? It’s too… <em>stuffy</em> in here.” Clank nodded- if it would make his friend more comfortable to discuss it outside, then that would be where they’d discuss it. Soon enough, Ratchet was sitting on the apartment balcony, tail curled around the railing, and his hands also hanging on to prevent him from falling. Clank leaned his back against one of the beams supporting the rail, waiting for the Lombax to speak. The defect really was quite grateful that the Galactic President offered to let them stay in an apartment in the Marcadian capital for the time being- after the final battle against Nefarious, Ratchet had been hesitant to return home to Veldin. Clank did have a bit of an idea on why, but he would rather not make any assumptions- he wanted to know from the feline himself.</p><p>“I don’t think I can go back, Clank,” Ratchet explained after a long moment of silence. The Lombax stared up at the blank night sky as he spoke- there were far too many streetlights on at the moment to see any stars. “Not for a little while, anyway…” He was quiet for a minute, and then went on, “Besides, with Qwark, Cora, and Brax still missing, the galaxy needs us a lot more than ever. Nefarious wasn’t the only threat out there… which means we’ll have to fight again… soon, probably.”</p><p>“At least the worst is now over,” Clank said softly, “and we have some time for respite before then.”</p><p>“I don’t think the worst is over yet,” Ratchet told him. “If anything… it’s only just begun.”</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>Meanwhile... somewhere on Veldin...</em>
</p><p>Percival pushed aside the last piece of debris with every ounce of strength they had, and smiled when the metal tumbled down the side of the “hill”- which was all that remained of the Deplanetiser. They smirked as they spotted the heavily damaged face of a very much out-of-commission Dr. Nefarious.</p><p>“You wanna know the greatest thing about not having to pick sides?” Percival asked, taking the doctor’s face in their hands and carefully examining it. “It means I can do whatever I want… manipulate whoever I want… so long as it benefits <em>me.”</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The End…?</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>WHOOOOAAAAAA I CAN'T BELIEVE I FINISHED THIS FIC AKDKSJDJDDJDJDJDJSNSNSNDN Seriously though, I'm really just happy that I managed to actually finish this project, like...</p><p>Anyways, now to start working on the sequel! Constructive criticism is always appreciated, FLAMES on the other hand are NOT.</p>
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<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Q&A</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Basically, if you wanna ask me questions about this fic and stuff, you can. Please read the rules beforehand though! </p><p>Rules:</p><ol>
<li>Keep your questions related to the story- don't ask anything personal please!</li>
<li>Keep your questions appropriate please. This means don't ask about anything NSFW- any such inappropriate questions will be deleted on sight.</li>
<li>Those are the only to rules I can think of rn, so all Imma say next is this: have fun! :)</li>
</ol><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
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